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THE LAST CRUISE
OF THE
CARNEGIE
The CARNEGIE
From a water-color by William J. Peters
The Last Cruise
OF THE
CARNEGIE
11^
.C3
BY
J. HARLAND PAUL
Surgeon and Observer
WITH A FOREWORD BY
JOHN A. FLEMING
Acting Director
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
Carnegie Institution of Washington
BALTIMORE
THE WILLIAMS & WILKINS COJV
1932
.MONB«.
1930
Copyright 1932
THE WILLIAMS & WILKINS COMPANY
Made in the United States of America
Published January, 1932
Composed and Printed at the
WAVERLY PRESS, INC.
FOR
The Williams & Wilkins Companv
Baltimore, Md.,U. S. A.
Dedicaticn
TO
CAPTAIN JAMES PERCY AULT
whose world-zvide scientific service
has enriched geophysical knowledge
CONTENTS
Foreword xv
Previous Cruises of the Carnegie and Purposes of
Cruise VII 1
The Vessel 18
Recommissioning the Carnegie 24
The Equipment 28
Narrative of the Cruise 61
Washington to Plymouth to Hamburg 61
Hamburg to Reykjavik to Bridgetown to Panama. . . 103
Panama to Easter Island to Callao 143
Callao to Apia to Port Apra to Yokohama 223
Yokohama to San Francisco to Honolulu to Tutuila to
Apia 281
VI 1
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. The Carnegie, from a water-color by William J. Peters Frontispiece
Opposite
or on page
2. Captain James Percy Ault 2
3. The scientific staff aboard the Carnegie 3
4. The watch-officers and the engineer 4
5. Cruise VII of the Carnegie, May 1928 to November 1929 5
6. Edmund Halley 6
7. Hourly values in atmospheric-electric potential on normal day and on disturbed
day 12
8. Oceanographic stations. Cruise VII 15
9. Magnetic-survey work of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism during
1905-1926 16
10. Under a full spread of canvas in the Pacific 19
11. The lofty fore-rigging 20
12. The wooden windlass and manila hawser 22
13. The oscillator of the sonic depth-finder 24
14. The waist and quarter-deck viewed from the royal-yard 25
15. Paul at the plankton-pump 29
16. The Stevenson meteorological shelter 30
17. Erickson, the first mate 31
18. Parkinson testing the photographic recorder 33
19. The case containing the delicate deep-sea reversing-thermometers 35
20. A Richter and Wiese deep-sea reversing-thermometer 37
21. Weighing the hydrogen-filled balloon 39
22. Torreson observing a pilot-balloon 41
23. A silk-net coming up after being towed from the ship 43
24. Seiwell at work in the chemical laboratory 45
25. The Wenner salinity -bridge 47
26. The fore-rigging 49
27. Looking down on the bow from aloft 51
28. Using a marine collimating-compass 53
29. Parkinson making a "dust-count" 55
30. The waist as seen from the royal-yard 57
31. The radio receiver 59
32. Captin Ault and his family 62
33. Dr. John C. Merriam, President of the Carnegie Institution of Washington,
bidding good-bye to Captin Ault 63
34. Scientific staff waving good-bye 65
35. The Carnegie being towed out into the Potomac 67
36. Some members of the laboratory staff 69
37. Scott at the "deflector" 71
ix
X ILLUSTRATIONS
38. Franklin's chart of the Gulf Stream 71
39. Captain Ault about to remove a "Nansen bottle" 73
40. Seiwell inspecting a plankton-catch 75
41. The Car/ie^je running before the wind 77
42. The Carnegie digging her prow into a heavy sea 79
43. Paul withdrawing samples of sea-water for chemical analysis 81
44. The Carnegie at Plymouth 83
45. The stone commemorating the sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers 83
46. The beautiful boat-harbor at Plymouth 85
47. The ferry to Cornwall 85
48. Fifteenth-century building, formerly part of the Dominican Monastery ... 86
49. The cathedral at Exeter 87
50. Sir Frank Dyson, Astronomer Royal of England 89
51. Entering the Elbe River 91
52. Welcomed in Germany by Government officials and leaders of scientific
societies 93
53. The Carnegie party at the Hagenbeck Zoo, Hamburg 94
54. Dr. Burath, official host, Hamburg 95
55. The Carnegie dressed for the Fourth of July, Hamburg 101
56. A salt-water shower 105
57. The "meal-sack" 107
58. The great art-museum at Reykjavik 107
59. An Icelandic woman in native dress 109
60. Automobile road in Iceland 110
61. Thingvalla Plain " Ill
62. Waterfall, Iceland 113
63. Lake on Thingvalla Plain 113
64. Iceberg passed off coast of Newfoundland 116
65. Paul at the evaporimeter 118
66. The biologist using a dip-net from the "boom-walk" 120
67. The forecastle gang 122
68. An oily calm in the trade-wind belt 124
69. Quarter-deck of the Carnegie during an oceanographic station 126
70. Paul and Soule preparing bottles for the water-samples 127
71. The Carnegie at anchor in Carlisle Bay, Barbados 130
72. Native coin-divers 130
73. A Barbadian negress 132
74. The "careenage" in Bridgetown 133
75. Captain and Mrs. Phillips visit the ship in Barbados 135
76. The tents pitched for magnetic shore-station 135
77. Captain Ault using the diving-helmet 137
78. Crane Beach, Barbados 139
79. Old windmills at Barbados 141
80. Tablets in Panama City relating the history of the building of the Panama
Canal 144
81. Tower of Old Panama 145
82. Malpelo Island outside the Gulf of Panama 148
83. By-the-wind in the South Pacific 151
ILLUSTRATIONS xi
84. One of the islands of the Galapagos group 154,
85. Captain Ault releasing a pilot-balloon 158
86. Captain Ault, Torreson, and Scott following the pilot-balloon 159
87. The Carnegie hove-to for an oceanographic station in the Pacific 162
88. Images lining the slopes of Rano Roraku, Easter Island 165
89. Colossal statues, Easter Island 173
90. Group of statues, Easter Island 174
91. Quarry for statues, Easter Island 175
92. Crater-lake of Rano Roraku, Easter Island 176
93. The platform at Tongariki, Easter Island 177
94. Ancient rock-carvings 181
95. An entrance to the burrows on the rim of Rano Kao Crater 182
96. "Bird Rocks" lying below the caves on Rano Kao Crater 183
97. Plate showing natives and monuments, Easter Island, from the "Voyages of
La Perouse" 187
98. The albatross of the South Pacific 195
99. A small "bottle-nose" whale of the South Pacific 196
100. Large deep-sea organism 197
101. Typical vertical section showing temperatures at various depths for voyage
from Panama to Easter Island to Peru 199
102. Typical vertical section showing salt-content of sea-water at various depths for
voyage from Panama to Easter Island to Peru 201
103. The waters off the coast of Peru abound with fish, but the birds are the fisher-
men 202
104. Switchback at Chicla, Peru 204
105. The primitive wooden plow 205
106. A herd of llamas 206
107. A typical village church in the Andes of Peru 207
108. Gulls near Huancayo 207
109. Flowering cactus 208
110. Winnowing barley 209
111. Buildings of the Huancayo Magnetic Observatory 210
112. The Sunday market at Huancayo 211
113. Huancayo Valley 212
114. A native inn at Huancayo 213
115. Native dancers pay a visit to the Huancayo Magnetic Observatory .... 214
116. Glaciers in the Chuspiocha (Fly-Lake) Valley, Peru 215
117. The earthen oven used by the Indians in the Andes 216
118. The Indian women of the Andes spin wool-yarn as they walk or gossip . . . 216
119. Burial place in Lima 217
120. Burro burden-bearer 217
121. Indian women on their way to market 218
122. Facade of the ancient Jesuit church, Arequipa 219
123. The original "Bridge of San Luis Rey" near Chupaca, Peru 220
124. A wayside shrine in the Andes of Peru 221
125. Bottom-snapper with countersunk lead weight 224
126. A propeller-device for reversing deep-sea thermometers 225
127. The boat-harbor at Amanu Island ... 229
xil ILLUSTRATIONS
128. Captain Ault pays his respects to the native chief of Amanu 231
129. Our first drink of coconut-water 233
130. Boatload of native guests leaving the harbor at Amanu for a visit to the
Carnegie 233
131. Soule, Jones, Scott, and Torreson visit the "Transit-of- Venus Monument" near
Papeete 235
132 Fisherman's hut on the island of Tahiti 237
133. Tahiti has a magnificent coast-line 239
134. Inlet near Taravao, Island of Tahiti 240
135. A group of Samoan chieftains 241
136. Samoan men resting in front of the "fale" after a "siva-siva" dance, Apia . 242
137. A Samoan house under construction 243
138. The interior of a Samoan "fale" 244
139. Samoan boy dressed for a "siva-siva" dance 246
140. A Samoan chief dressed for the "knife-dance" 247
141. The beautiful grounds of the magnetic observatory at Apia 249
142. The atmospheric-electric station set up on the reef near Apia 250
143. Tomb of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson on Mount Vaea, near Apia 251
144. Gigantic banyan tree near Apia 253
145. Collecting biological specimens on reef at low tide, Apia 254
146. Shark 255
147. A "snapper" type of bottom-sampler 257
148. Wake Island in the mid-Pacific 260
149. Chamorro houses near Agana, Guam 261
150. A lane in Agana, Guam 263
151. Chamorro woman, Guam 264
152. Chart showing bottom-profile in the vicinity of "Fleming Deep" 265
153. Japanese fishing-boat, the Ichio-maru 267
154. The Carnegie hove-to after a storm 269
155. Two Japanese flappers 270
156. Magnetic Observatory at Kakioka, Japan 271
157. The staff of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory 272
158. Kegon falls near Nikko 273
159. School children on pilgrimage to shrine at Nikko 274
160. Sacred red lacquer bridge at Nikko 275
161. The Japanese oceanographic research-vessel, the Synpu-morn 277
162. Officers and crew of the Synpu-maru 277
163. The old Japanese method of sawing logs 279
164. Wall around the old Imperial Palace at Kyoto 280
165. Captain Ault about to descend in the diving-helmet 282
166. Observing the flight of the pilot-balloon "283
167. A "gooney" or black-footed albatross 285
168. The "gooney" or black-footed albatross, a constant companion in the North
Pacific 286
169. Gish testing the penetrating-radiation aparatus at Crystal Lake, San Francisco . 289
170. The Carnegie dressed for the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the
founding of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism 291
171. Visitors on the quarter-deck 292
ILLUSTRATIONS xiii
172. The dome for the 100-inch telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory, California . 294!
173. The scientific personnel of the Carnegie on leaving San Francisco in September,
1929 295
174. Forbush measuring the force of gravity with the pendulum-apparatus . . . 297
175. The pendulums of the Vening-Meinesz gravity-apparatus 299
176. A "wiliwili" tree, coral plains, Oahu Island, Hawaii 301
177. The pit of Halemaumau at Kilauea Volcano, Island of Hawaii 302
178. A Chinese woman at work on a plantation in Hawaii 303
179. A "gannet" 304
180. The "gannet" salutes 305
181. Young bo'son-birds of the South Pacific 306
182. Captain Ault releasing pilot-balloons 307
183. Scientific results from oceanographic stations Nos. 161 and 162 310
184. The boat-harbor, lagoon, Penrhyn Island 311
185. A rehearsal for the unique native dance of the Manihiki Islanders 313
186. Dancing in the churchyard at Manihiki Island 314
187. The Carnegie at dock. Naval Station, Pago Pago, American Samoa .... 317
188. Bowl, coconut dipper, switch, and dried root used in making "Kava," the
ceremonial drink of Samoa 318
189. A Samoan feast 320
190. A Samoan girl 321
191. Typical Samoan types 322
192. A Samoan stream 323
193. Breadfruit 325
194. Samoan boys in their "pao-paos" or outrigger canoes . 326
195. The palolo-worm which lives in dead coral in Samoa 327
196. Public shower-bath, Samoa 328
197. Native chief and his wife, Apia 329
198 The last of the Carnegie 330
FOREWORD
The Carnegie — the world's only sea-going non-magnetic ob-
servatory— was constructed by the Carnegie Institution of Wash-
ington to obtain geophysical data over the oceans. This vessel
was part of the equipment of the Institution's Department of
Terrestrial Magnetism, founded April 1, 1904, realizing a plan
for an international magnetic bureau submitted by Dr. Louis A.
Bauer, the Department's director from 1904 and its director
emeritus from 1930. The purpose of the Department, set forth
in the plan, is "to investigate such problems of world-wide interest
as relate to the magnetic and electric condition of the Earth and
its atmosphere, not specifically the subject of inquiry of any one
country, but of international concern and benefit." Among the
problems proposed was the magnetic survey of ocean-areas and
magnetically unexplored regions, so that more accurate and
comprehensive charts might be constructed. It was in the
realization of this part of the plan that the Carnegie did such useful
service during 1909 to 1929. The first six cruises were made
almost exclusively for the surveys of the Earth's magnetism and
electricity for which she was designed. The seventh cruise was
to be unique in the vessel's history, as its program contemplated
besides these survey-operations extensive researches in oceanog-
raphy, including the exploration of the ocean-depths for the
physical, chemical, and biological conditions found there.
In May 1928 the Carnegie left the United States for a three-
year cruise of all oceans — the seventh since her launching in 1909
— to further increase the store of geophysical data. Captain
James Percy Ault, and the staff under his command, had com-
pleted one year and a half of this voyage when disaster struck
suddenly. The ship and its unique equipment — evolved in
twenty-five years of active endeavor of the Department — were
totally destroyed, and the Captain lost his life together with the
Cabin-Boy. The tragedy took place November 29, 1929, at
XV
xvi FOREWORD
Apia, Western Samoa, when a gasoline explosion occurred while
supplies of fuel were being stored aboard.
The following pages sketch briefly the earlier work of this
famous research ship in her quest for scientific facts, and give a
narrative of the seventh and last cruise.
There was a scientific staff of eight, in addition to a full com-
plement of sailing oflScers and crew, numbering seventeen. On
leaving Washington, May 1, 1928, the members of the party and
their fields of research were: Captain J. P. Ault, commander of
the Carnegie, and chief of scientific staff; Wilfred C. Parkinson,
senior scientific officer, atmospheric electricity and photography;
Oscar W. Torreson, navigator and executive officer, magnetism
and navigation; Floyd M. Soule, observer and electrical expert,
magnetism and physical oceanography; H. R. Seiwell, chemist
and biologist, oceanography; J. H. Paul, surgeon and observer,
meteorology and oceanography; W. E. Scott, observer, nagiva-
tion, magnetism, and commissary; and Lawrence A. Jones, radio
operator and observer, radio investigations and magnetism.
The sailing staff included Albert Erickson, first mate, C. E.
Leyer, chief engineer, and F. Lyngdorf, steward — all three had
served throughout the previous cruise.
The scientific program was carried out successfully; computed
values of the various observations were forwarded from port to
port in such a form that they could be immediately utilized by
workers ashore, and by the hydrographic offices of the world.
The prompt publication of results necessitated continuous ap-
plication to duty on the part of the staff, whether at sea or in
port. But this also made the expedition scientifically successful,
although the vessel and all its equipment were later destroyed.
On the other hand, it may be said that the work during the cruise
was only a beginning, for it will take several years to analyze
and correlate further these data.
Captain Ault's death deprives the sciences of oceanography
and terrestrial magnetism of a promising leader at the height of
his powers. No more fitting monument can be erected to the
memory of a man than the imperishable records of his service
for science. In twenty -five years of research as one of the staff
FOREWORD xvii
of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism Captain Ault made
notable contributions in the varied fields of geophysics. He
led many expeditions to far ends of the world and commanded
the Carnegie on four of her world-wide cruises. Those who had
the good fortune to serve science with him and to sail under his
skillful and inspiring leadership know how completely he met his
responsibilities and realized his ideals. His death deprives the
public of his own fascinating story of the cruise. A charming
book indeed would have resulted from his rich background in
oceanic surveys, his contagious enthusiasm, and his ability to
interpret fundamental scientific researches in popular terms.
The preparation of the narative of the cruise has devolved,
therefore, upon Dr. J. Harland Paul, who so creditably carried
his dual responsibilities as surgeon and observer throughout
the cruise, and to whose constructive and loyal service Captain
Ault so frequently made appreciative reference in his official
correspondence, as was also the case for every other man of his
staff. In some of the more intimate details. Dr. Paul has had the
privilege of abstracting from Captain Ault's letters to his wife
and daughters detailed accounts of many incidents of the cruise
not forming part of or entering into the official reports.
The story of the expedition is a record of diligent and continu-
ous application to duty on a pre-arranged schedule. But few
passages will be found describing the wonders or terrors of the
deep, and but few romantic pages of brilliant exploits of physical
daring — for the simple reason that the cruise was carefully planned
to avoid digressions that might interrupt the discharge of impor-
tant routine. How faithfully and loyally the plans and observa-
tions were carried out by each and every one concerned on board
the vessel is abundantly evidenced by the vast number of ob-
servations made, samples collected, and data derived, the dis-
cussion of and the interpretations from which are real contri-
butions to the physics of the Earth — geophysics.
John A. Fleming.
PREVIOUS CRUISES OF THE CARNEGIE AND
PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII
The history of the Carnegie has been so closely bound up with
recent developments in magnetism, that it will be justifiable to
recite briefly some of the salient facts of this science. The story
begins, of course, with the introduction of the compass for navi-
gation, some hundred years before the voyages of Columbus.
He was the first, however, to note that the compass does not
point to true north except at a few points on the Earth.
This bewildering behavior of the trusted instrument more than
once got him into difficulties. On his first passage to America,
the crew was greatly disturbed, and on the point of mutiny, when
they saw the needle point ten degrees west of true north. They
did not wish to trust the compass any longer, for fear they should
never find their way home. Columbus allayed their fears by
saying that the officers must have made some mistake in the
bearings of the Pole Star, and that in the morning he would in-
vestigate.
Sure enough, when morning came the compass was seen to
read correctly again. The wily Columbus had no doubt shifted
the compass-card under the needle, as he admitted having done
on a previous expedition. He writes: "Being unable to force
the crew's inclination, I yielded to their wish, and, having first
changed the points of the compass, spread all sail, for it was
evening; and at daybreak we were within the Cape of Carthagena
while all believed for a certainty that they were going to Mar-
seilles."
In doing this Columbus was taking chances, for laws had been
framed against falsifying the compass. In one of these curious
statutes, mariners were charged not to eat onions or garlic, lest
the odor "deprive the lodestone of its virtue by weakening it and
prevent them from perceiving their correct course." The pun-
ishment for violations seem barbarous in the extreme, for the
2
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Capxaix James Tercy Allt
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII
3
culprit, "if his life be spared, must be punished by having the
hand which he most uses fastened by a dagger thrust through it
to the mast, to be withdrawn only by tearing it free."
Early experiences with the compass soon showed that it was
necessary to know the angle by which the geographical north dif-
fered from the north as indicated by the needle, that is, the mag-
The Scientific Staff aboard the Carnegie
(Front row, left to right: W. C. Parkinson, senior scientific oflBcer; Captain J. P.
Ault, commander and chief of scientific staff; J. H. Paul, surgeon and observer; back row,
left to right: F. M. Soule, electrical expert; L. A. Jones, radio operator and observer; W.
E. Scott, navigator and commissary; H. R. Seiwell, chemist and biologist; O. W. Torreson,
navigator and executive officer.)
netic declination or variation. This was the beginning of the
science of terrestrial magnetism. One of the earliest methods for
finding this angle was to take bearings of the Sun as it rose and
set, the mid-point being true south. It was a modification of
this method which was used throughout the cruises of the Carnegie.
So far, onlv the declination had been discovered. In 1576
4
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
another practical seaman, Norman, published an interesting
paper entitled "a newe discovered secret and subtill propertie
concerning the Declyning of the Needle, touched therewith under
the plaine of the Horizon." This discovery of magnetic "dip,"
or inclination as it is now called, gave us the first hint that the
source of magnetic force might be in the Earth and not in the
The Watch-officers and the Engineer
(Left to right: Jentoft, third mate; Leyer, engineer; Erickson, first mate; Unander,
second mate.)
stars, as had previously been supposed. Even today we do not
know the origin of this mysterious force.
In the seventeenth century a very discomforting fact came to
light. Up to this time it had been assumed that the magnetic
declination and dip, though differing for various localities, was
constant at any one place. But now it was shown that the
Earth's magnetism undergoes changes in the course of time —
irregular changes at that. The effects of this discovery were far-
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THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Edmund Halley
This noted astronomer made the first magnetic variation-chart of the Atlantic from
observations secured on the Paramour Pink from 1698-1701.
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII 7
reaching. For example, the compass-bearing of hnes surveyed
in London in 1580 differed 35° from their compass-bearings in
1812.
Besides this, the dream of the mariner had to be abandoned that
some day longitude might be determined by simply noting the
declination of the compass. This was a great disappointment
indeed, for chronometers keeping accurate time had not yet been
discovered, and there was no satisfactory method for finding
longitude at sea. In fact, there were large prizes offered to any-
one who could solve this pressing problem. The only known
method was to rely on estimations of each day's run and the course
followed; and there were uncharted currents in the ocean which
might carry one unawares many miles a day in an unknown direc-
tion. Even Halley, the noted astronomer, was three hundred
miles out of his reckoning from this cause, on one of his voyages.
The first to construct a chart showing the declination of the
compass was Edmund Halley, whose name is associated in our
minds with the great comet. At the expense of the English
Government, he sailed over the Atlantic Ocean in the Paramour
Pink, between 1698 and 1701, and his cruises were thus the fore-
runners of those of the Carnegie. He brought his important
work to the attention of the Royal Society by modestly presenting
to them "my magnetic chart and some barnacles which I observed
to be of quick growth."
Halley's excellent chart could not be used for finding longitude
at sea, since no one knew how much the declination changed from
year to year in any one place. Dr. Bauer, the founder of our
Department, used to give the following illustration to show the
change in the pointing of the compass in the course of time:
"The Carnegie on her maiden voyage in 1909, in sailing
from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Falmouth, England,
followed almost the identical path of Halley's Para-
mour Pink. The observations on board the Carnegie
showed that the variation of the compass as observed by
Halley had changed to such an extent that if the Car-
negie had followed the same compass-courses as those of
the Paramour Pink, instead of coming to anchor in Fal-
mouth Harbor, in the south of England, she would have
8 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
made a landfall somewhere on the northwest coast of
Scotland. In brief, while the sailing directions as gov-
erned by the winds and currents on the Atlantic Ocean
are the same now as they were in Halley's time, the
magnetic directions or bearings of the compass that a
vessel must follow across the Atlantic to reach a given
point, have greatly altered."
More recent observations have brought out many new facts
about the magnetism of the Earth. Apparently the Earth is far
from being simply magnetized. The so-called magnetic poles
are over one thousand miles from the geographic poles; they are
not diametrically opposite, for a straight line drawn between
them passes some seven hundred and fifty miles from the center
of the Earth. Moreover, mathematicians tell us that the actual
magnetic poles are really not at the surface of the Earth at all,
but near its center. It was once thought that an iron ship should
not risk sailing near a magnetic pole, lest she should be unable
to free herself from the attraction, much as iron filings are fixed
to a bar magnet. This apprehension was groundless, as the real
poles are so near the center of the globe that iron weighs practi-
cally no more at the north magnetic pole than at the equator be-
cause of magnetic attraction.
Then there are numerous areas on the Earth's surface, where
certain mineral deposits affect a compass in an anomalous way.
Some of these local disturbances are very intense, as in Kursk,
Russia, and in Iceland. In fact, these variations in magnetic
manifestations of subterranean masses have been used in mining
to locate ore.
The forces directing the compass have also been found subject
to short-period changes, as distinct from the secular changes
mentioned above, such as the so-called annual, lunar, and diurnal
changes which have a degree of regularity. Besides these, times
of great activity on the surface of the Sun, as indicated by num-
ber of "sunspots," are in general times of an unsteady behavior
of the compass. When these disturbances become violent, they
are known as magnetic storms and may be so intense as to paralyze
cable and telegraph communication.
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII 9
It may be appropriate here to give from eminent authorities
one or two quotations relating to terrestrial magnetism. Helm-
holtz and Maxwell, two of the greatest physicists, have considered
magnetism, next to gravity, as "the most puzzling of natural
forces." And Professor Fleming of England, referring to the
practical importance of research in this field, has said: "That
great empire which has its center in these islands (Great Britain),
but its dominions scattered over the distant seas, has been built
primarily on the art of navigation, in which the magnetism of the
Earth is a central fact. Neither its world-wide commerce, nor
the naval power which defends its coasts, could exist for a day
without the aid of the magnetic compass."
The whole subject is thus exceedingly complex, and its com-
plexity has been increasingly made evident with the development
of observations and theories involving them offered in the past
century. To learn anything worth while of the nature of the
Earth's magnetic field, record of all these changes simultaneously
at many points on the Earth's surface was required. Accordingly
magnetic observatories have been set up throughout the world,
but these are not numerous and had therefore to be amplified by
establishing temporary stations in magnetically unexplored
countries. Furthermore, almost three-fourths the surface of the
globe is covered by the oceans, over which it was important to
collect information as well.
This led to the plans made in 1904 and the formation of the
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution
of Washington under the energetic and resourceful directorship of
Dr. Louis A. Bauer for a world-wide magnetic and electric survey.
The magnetic survey was begun immediately. Land parties
were organized to penetrate to the remotest corners of the Earth :
through the heart of Australia and the Sahara, over the top of
Central Asia, across the watersheds of South America, and through
the forests of the Congo, and on the northern plains of Canada.
Expeditions into polar regions were supplied with magnetic
observers. In fact, stations were occupied wherever camel or
canoe, mule or riverboat, motor or railway, could transport the
instruments.
10 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
To make a beginning in the exploration of the vast ocean-areas,
a brigantine was chartered, the Galilee. She set out from San
Francisco Bay in 1905 into the ahiiost uncharted Pacific to make
three cruises, one under the command of J. F. Pratt and two under
W. J. Peters. In three years she cruised the waters between
Alaska and New Zealand and between China and the coasts of
the Americas. Conditions for observing were very unfavorable
on this ship. The instruments were mounted on an open plat-
form on deck, where rain or seas interrupted the work for days
at a time. Since she was not free from magnetic materials, it
was necessary to "swing ship" for deviation-errors as often as
circumstances permitted. These errors occasioned delay in
reporting results, and made the computations of final values most
laborious.
It was apparent that a non-magnetic vessel with observatory
domes would be able to do the work far more efiSciently. It was
in answer to these needs that the Carnegie was built in 1909. The
experience with the Galilee had been invaluable; old instruments
were adapted to marine use, new ones were invented, and methods
were compared with the aim of finding those which gave the
greatest accuracy under ever changing conditions at sea.
The Carnegie made six cruises between 1909 and 1921, I and
11 under the command of W. J. Peters, III, IV, and VI under
J. P. Ault, and V under H. M. W. Edmonds. During these she
sailed more than a quarter of a million nautical miles, making
some of the longest voyages in history, and traversing all waters
between 80° north and 60^ south. She had met ice and fogs around
Spitzbergen and the South Orkneys, typhoons off Japan, har-
mattans along African coasts, pamperos near Argentina, hurri-
canes in the South Seas — and had come through unscathed. She
had visited the most unfrequented islands, and was without
doubt better known the world over than any ship that sailed the
seas.
Perhaps the most notable achievement in her history was a
sub-polar circumnavigation of the Southern Ocean in her fourth
cruise in 1915-1916. This perilous voyage was made in a single
season — a unique chapter in the annals of sailing. She made
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII 11
only one stop, desolate South Georgia at that! Gales blew on
52 of the 118 days required for the 17,000-mile journey through
ice and snow. Some of the bergs were as much as five miles
long and five hundred feet high. Captain iVult refers to them
as "unpleasant sailing companions amidst the almost continuous
fogs and blizzards of the Southern Ocean." To reduce the speed
and to give the lookout an unobstructed view, the foresail was
constructed in the shape of a triangle.
Probably the fastest voyage the Carnegie ever made was from
New York to Hammerfest — 4800 miles in 24 days. Not a reef
was taken, as she ploughed through the rough seas of the North
Atlantic. On this same cruise she very nearly came to grief off
Spitzbergen, when a strong southerly gale almost bottled her
up in an ice-pack to the north. She managed to clear this and
proceeded to Iceland, where the party first learned that the Great
War had been declared.
After every cruise there were tales of unusual and thrilling ex-
periences. The vessel has scudded along at nine knots under
bare poles near Wake Island. She once passed a corpse at 60°
south, far both from land and from trade-routes; this had been
the only sight of a human being encountered in four months,
except for the whalers of South Georgia. On another occasion
she set mail adrift in a copper box near Kerguelen Island contain-
ing abstracts of the scientific results during the first part of the
sub-antarctic cruise; this was done so that if the ship were lost
the records at least might be picked up. Again she had to navi-
gate close to shore on the west coast of Africa through a red fog,
caused by a harmattan, which brought the visible horizon to
within less than half a mile from the ship. And after success-
fully making port at Dakar, she found the city so riddled with
plague that she was forced to leave at once for Buenos Aires.
Another branch of geophysics is the study of the electric state
of the Earth and its atmosphere. The entire Earth is charged
with negative electricity. Although this charge is constantly
being dissipated into the air, its total is not permanently diminished.
Here we are face to face with a mystery, and we must find the
source of this negative charge of the Earth.
12
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Because of its relation to magnetism, a survey of terrestrial
electricity was added to the observational programs of the Galilee
and of the Carnegie. On board and ashore measurements were
made of the elements of atmospheric electricity. These included
the determination of the atmospheric potential-gradient or the
change in voltage with distance above the Earth's surface and of
conductivity or ability of the air to transport electricity. These
MDT I
3 4
LOCAL MEAN TIME
9 10 II NOON 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 MDT
+120
+ 110
+100
+90
120
110
100
90
/
^
\
\
/
^
/
—
--
—
-J
/■
\
y
\
\
^
/
\
-
LOCAL MEAN TIME
MDT I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 NOON 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 MDT
+ 2501 1 1 \ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 h-/VI — /I — 1 1 1 H-250
Hourly Values in Atmosphkric-electric Potential on Normal Day and on
Disturbed Day
From observations made aboard the Carnegie in the Atlantic Ocean on Cruise VII.
two measurements give us an idea of the rate at which the Earth
loses its negative charge.
But if we are to seek out the source of this charge, many other
factors must be observed. For example: counts of the number of
air-molecules carrying a charge (ions) ; measurement of the amoimt
of penetrating-radiation coming to the Earth from outer space
(since this force is capable of producing ions in the air) ; measure-
ment of the amount of radioactive matter in the air; and counts
of the so-called Aitken nuclei, or "dust-particles."
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII 13
In some respects conditions of electric study at sea are more
favorable than on land and the vessel does not have to be non-
magnetic for these investigations. The potential gradient of the
atmosphere undergoes daily variations which are simultaneous
over the whole Earth, and are thus independent of local time.
This important fact had been hidden for years in the data col-
lected ashore, because local disturbances of the atmosphere are
almost the rule. The phenomenon was apparent when records
from all the oceans were compared.
Important advances may be expected in these subjects when
the upper air is investigated, for until now observations have been
confined largely to the Earth's surface. In fact, plans for using
dirigibles, balloons, and even rockets for this work are now being
made.
We have already made reference to the oceanographic studies
made on the Carnegie on her seventh cruise. A brief orientation
will make the following narrative more intelligible; although, due
to the great number of separate sciences concentrated here, this
field of research is even more confusing than magnetism and
electricity.
Aside from its importance to many branches of science, a
knowledge of the oceans has a practical value for mankind. The
intelligent development of our fishing industries, the laying of
oceanic cables, the proper construction of harbor-works, oceanic
commerce and navigation, as well as long-range weather fore-
casting, are all dependent on an understanding of oceanic con-
ditions.
Changes in the physical properties of sea- water affect profoundly
the life of the sea, and have even brought about evolutionary
processes through changes of ocean-currents. Physics, chemistry,
physical geography, meteorology, astronomy, zoology, botany,
bacteriology, and physiology, all play their part in developing
a proper picture of the water-world around us. To indicate how
large a part of the Earth is covered by the oceans, we might
call attention to the fact that a whole hemisphere, with its center
near New Zealand, would have only one-tenth of its area as dry
land! And the average depth of the seas is over two miles.
14 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Oceanography as we have described it is not an ancient study.
Its development has depended on the invention of methods in the
other sciences. For instance, in recent years the perfection of
echo-sounding has given to physical geography a magnificent
tool for charting the oceanic floor. With this method one could
easily make as many soundings in a year as had been made in
all previous centuries.
The first true oceanographic expedition set out from England
under James Cook in 1768 in the Endeavour. His primary pur-
pose was to make astronomical and geographical investigations.
However, a noted biologist was a member of the party, and deep-
sea soundings and temperatures were recorded. In his day no
one dreamed that life could exist under the great pressures exist-
ing in the depths of the ocean.
During the following hundred years, a multitude of new instru-
ments was devised by men of all nationalities, and an increasing
interest in the ocean was shown by great scientists. Charles
Darwin and Thomas Huxley were two of this company. And the
interest in marine biology was intensified when the telegraph
companies began to report broken cables showing clear evidence
of marine life even in the greatest depths. By this time Sir
John Ross had invented a bottom-sampler which he called a
"deep-sea clamm." With this he brought up some starfish and
marine worms from two thousand meters.
This was the first direct evidence that life could exist under
enormous pressures. iVn equally important contribution to the
science was the invention of the deep-sea reversing thermometer
protected against pressure. With these thermometers it could
be shown that as we go deeper in the sea the temperature di-
minishes, and that on the bottom the water is not far from the
freezing point — the reverse of conditions in a mine-shaft on land.
It was apparent from these advances that the time had come
for a world-wide survey of the ocean and its floor. Until then
research had been limited to areas near the coasts. Accordingly,
the H.M.S. Challenger set out in IST'-Z on a great exploring expe-
dition under the noted Sir Wyville-Thompson. This ship cov-
ered sixty -nine thousand miles in all oceans, making soundings,
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII
15
16
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
dredgings, temperature and chemical determinations on samples
collected from great depths, and biological studies of the floating
forms of life. So thoroughly the work was done that since then
oceanographers have limited their operations to some special
region or some particular problem.
The United States had made many important contributions
to the new science both before and after this voyage. Wilkes
Magnetic-survey Work of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism during
1905-1926
Cruises of the Galilee are indicated by Arabic numerals, those of the Carnegie by Roman
numerals; black dots show the land stations.
made dredgings and soundings. Dana, the great naturalist,
carried on biological and geological studies. Maury made the
first systematic depth-charts, and may be said to have created
meteorological oceanography. Agassiz, like Dana, prosecuted
the biological end of the program. The larger part of this work
was done on ships of the United States Coast Survey.
In recent times the advance of oceanography has been marked
by the establishment of marine biological laboratories through-
PREVIOUS CRUISES AND PURPOSES OF CRUISE VII 17
out the world as well as by numerous expeditions. In these
shore stations highly important experimental work can be done
to supplement the discoveries of research vessels. Major contri-
butions to the science are now coming from these institutions.
Among the important oceanographic voyages completed just
prior to the sailing of the Carnegie may be mentioned the German
Atlantic Expedition of the Meteor, which covered the South At-
lantic in a very systematic way between 1925 and 1927. Our
staff had the great privilege of meeting the members of this party
when we called at Hamburg in 1928.
Although much information has already been obtained about
the sea, comprehensive, systematic studies have only begun.
The projected cruise of the Carnegie was to cover the oceans so
completely that it seemed highly desirable to take advantage of
this fact by equipping her for work in oceanography.
THE VESSEL
The Carnegie was designed by Henry J. Gielow of New York,
who had turned out many of the world's fine yachts. She was
built by the Tebo Yacht Basin Company of Brooklyn in 1909.
The architect succeeded in combining the graceful lines of a
yacht with the requirements of strength and steadiness — the
latter being paramount, since delicate instruments were to be
used in all weathers.
She was built of white oak, yellow and Oregon pine. Copper
or bronze-composition metal was used for all fastenings in the
hull or rigging, in place of iron or steel. The rigging was of hemp,
while manila hawsers replaced the usual anchor-chains. The
fuel tanks were made of copper and the anchors, davits, galley-
ranges, and even the engine and propeller-shaft were specially
cast of bronze. There was an old-style fisherman's wooden wind-
lass in the bow; and it required the brawn of all hands to up-
anchor. Throughout every detail of fitting and commissioning,
she was kept free from materials that might introduce errors in
the magnetic measurements.
It is curious to note that Andrew Carnegie, who had acquired
his wealth from steel, furnished the funds for constructing a ship
in which every effort was made to avoid steel. Someone has said
that the Carnegie fulfilled a prophecy by Thomas Hood, the Brit-
ish poet and humorist, which he made early last century in a
poem entitled "The Compass, with Variations." The following
lines occur:
"They found no gun — no iron, none
To vary its direction."
We did carry a small cannon — for shooting out a breeches-buoy
line in case of shipwreck — but it was cast of bronze!
The unique features of the ship have been the cause of innumer-
able quips in ports the world over. It was once reported that
18
THE VESSEL
19
an otherwise capable watch-officer was refused a position on
board because of his "iron constitution," and was informed that
only "bronzed sailors" were acceptable. Several visitors have
even asked if we have had to exclude raisins or spinach from our
diet because of their high iron-content !
The principle dimensions of the vessel were: overall length,
155 feet; load water-line, 128 feet; beam, 33 feet; draft, 14 feet;
displacement, 568 tons. The foremast stood 122 feet above the
Under a Full Spread of Canvas in the Pacific
water-line; and the length from the forward end of the bowsprit
to the after end of the main boom was 197 feet. Registered as
a brigantine yacht to facilitate port entries, the Carnegie was
really a hermaphrodite brig, with a spread of some 13,000 square
feet of canvas. While cruising the original mainsail and gaff-
topsail were replaced by the more handy leg-of-mutton mainsail.
Aside from her unique non-magnetic construction, the vessel
presented another curious feature, namely, the two revolving
glass domes mounted in the fore-and-aft line amidships. These
housed the instruments for measuring the magnetic elements.
20
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The Lofty Fore-eigging
As seen from the quarter-deck with the wind dead astern.
THE VESSEL 21
They communicated directly with the chart-room, so that, with
their protection, the observers could go about their work regard-
less of wind or rain or spray. On the Galilee, an ordinary sailing
vessel chartered for a magnetic survey of the Pacific between
1905 and 1908, instruments had been mounted on an open plat-
form above the deck. These domes were partly responsible for
the choice of the square-rigged foremast, for they would have
interfered with the handling of a boom forward. This choice
of sail was of course unfavorable when sailing close to the wind
for long passages, but with a light breeze blowing from astern she
was more than a match for a schooner.
Besides these observatories, the super-structures included:
A chart-room housing the "standard" compass, navigating in-
struments and charts; three laboratories for the atmospheric-
electric, chemical, and radio investigations; and a "control-room"
on the quarter-deck housing the observation-control apparatus
of the sonic depth-finder together with certain parts of the mag-
netic and meteorological equipment.
Below deck, from the bow toward the stern, were the forecastle,
the forward galley, the wardroom with officers' quarters, the
cabin with staterooms, the after galley, the fuel tanks, the engine-
room, and the lazarette in which provisions were stowed.
Before we describe the scientific instruments, we might answer
the first question asked by the average visitor to the ship : Why
was the Carnegie built non-magnetic? Iron in a vessel's hull, or
carried on board, affects the compass-needle in two ways. First,
it alters the normal direction of the needle and introduces an
error known as the "deviation of the compass." Secondly, it
weakens the force of the Earth's magnetic field acting on the
compass. Both of these effects vary with place, time, and course
of the vessel. A change of cargo, or the buffeting of an iron ship
by the waves, will change the "deviation."
Ordinarily a ship-master has his compass "adjusted" by placing
magnets or pieces of iron in the neighborhood of it in such a way
as to counteract the effects of the iron ship. But to make this
adjustment, he must first know where the compass would point
on a non-magnetic vessel like the Carnegie. With this information
n
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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THE VESSEL 23
he knows what correction to make on his disturbed compass.
Many a shipwreck can undoubtedly be laid to an improperly ad-
justed compass, or to the use of faulty magnetic charts. The
Carnegie was made non-magnetic so that observations as free as
possible from local disturbances due to iron or steel in the vicinity
of the instruments could be supplied from which correct charts
would be drawn, and at the same time furnish the facts demanded
by science.
The non-magnetic features of the Carnegie entailed large ex-
penses in building and in repair work, and introduced some seri-
ous difficulties in navigation. Our unhappy experience at Easter
Island may be cited as an example where the manila anchor-
hawsers were chafed through by coral heads, almost putting us
on the rocks. The clumsy windlass, made necessary by the non-
magnetic requirements of the ship, was unsuited to such passages
as the Straits of Magellan. In negotiating these narrow waters,
one must heave up the anchor at a moment's notice to take
advantage of a sudden change of wind or tide. It might take
as much as one or two hours to get away with the fisherman's
windlass, so it can be realized how much we were handicapped.
In fact, the farther we were from land the safer we felt.
RECOMMISSIONING THE CARNEGIE
The summer of 1927 was a happy one for the Carnegie. She
must have been restless indeed in her berth on the Potomac
River, where for six years she had watched the seasons come and
go without the tramping of sailors on her deck, or the tang of
The Oscillator of the Sonic Depth-finder
Installed in the keel — the vibration of this heavy diaphragm sends to the bottom the
sound-wave whose echo is picked up by the microphones.
salt spray on her bow. And now she was to be recommissioned
for the grandest cruise of all, over the oceans she knew so well.
Tugs of the United States Coast Guard took her safely to dry-
dock in New York, and brought her back to Washington in the
fall. Captain Ault and Mr. Erickson, her mate, supervised the
installation of new masts and rigging. Only the old royal-yard
24
RECOMMISSIONING THE CARNEGIE
25
The Waist and Quarter-deck Viewed from the Royal-Yard
26 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
remained aloft to tell its tales of squalls and of creaking calms.
New sheathing was applied to the bottom, new laboratories were
built on deck. A host of new instruments was put on board:
winch and sonic depth-finder, recording thermometer and refrig-
erator, generators and batteries. Whale-boats that had hung
on the quarter-deck were now raised to platforms amidships, to
clear the deck for sounding wires.
When they had finished her, the Carnegie must have felt a
little self-conscious, dressed as she was in the latest styles in
scientific apparel — much of it imported from Berlin and London,
Norway and Denmark. The United States Navy had given her
the means for sounding the bottom without heaving to, and had
supplied a radio to keep her in touch with home. And it had
commissioned her Captain a Lieutenant Commander in the Naval
Reserve, as a further mark of its interest in the coming cruise.
With all the new work in oceanography and radio, it was neces-
sary to abbreviate the usual magnetic program and to add two
members to the staff. On previous cruises duplicate methods
had been employed for measuring the three magnetic elements,
so it was now possible to select the most trustworthy and to dis-
pense with the others. Also, it was decided to occupy complete
magnetic stations only on alternate days, although declination-
values were to be obtained daily. This allowed the necessary
time for oceanographic work and for a considerable expansion of
the meteorological program.
As much of the work as possible was done by specially made
automatic recording-devices; thus continuous records of potential-
gradient and conductivity were obtained photographically, and
humidity-changes at various levels above the sea were recorded
electrically. The observer had then only to compare these instru-
ments frequently using standard methods, and was free to take
up other duties. Only the long experience of the Department in
ocean-surveys, and the use of these recorders, made it humanly
possible for the staff of eight men to carry on the heavy program
outlined.
The magnetic survey of the ocean which had been initiated in
1905 had been brought to practical completion by the end of
RECOMMISSIONING THE CARNEGIE 27
Cruise VI in 1921. The chief aim in the present voyage was
to reoccupy many of the former positions in order to note the
changes which had occurred with the lapse of time. There had
been disclosed on earlier expeditions areas of local magnetic
disturbances, and these too must be studied again. These con-
siderations determined to a large extent the course we followed
in traversing the oceans; but here and there a compromise with
the requirements of the ocean-studies had to be effected.
THE EQUIPMENT
While docked in San Francisco after our first year at sea, a
celebration was held aboard the Carnegie commemorating the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the Department of Terrestrial Mag-
netism. Following the ceremonies, the vessel was open for public
inspection for a period of several days. The popular interest
shown in the ship and its scientific equipment was keen — three
thousand visitors having made the rounds in two days. This
experience suggests that the reader of the following narrative may
also find of interest such a conducted tour. It will certainly
give a more concrete idea of what we set out to accomplish.
Coming upon the quarter-deck from the pier one's attention
is drawn to the shiny three-ton bronze winch and its two reels
of aluminum-bronze wire. With this electrically driven "gold-
hoist," as the sailors call it, deep-sea soundings can be made,
water samples collected, and temperatures taken down to a depth
of three or four miles. From the winch the wires lead through
blocks, over meter-wheels to davits over-hanging the water.
One of the winch-heads was cut down to hold the steel piano-wire,
which was used later in the cruise for collecting samples of the
bottom, and for getting temperatures at depths greater than could
be reached with the bronze cable. Although this steel wire was
very long it weighed little, and was so far removed from the mag-
netic instruments as to have no observable effect on them. The
drums and heads of this winch were ingeniously constructed to
work independently, so that to save time several operations might
be under way simultaneously: for example, paying out on the
bottle-wire, and hauling in on the bottom-sample. Aluminum-
bronze wire had previously been used by the German Atlantic
Expedition of the Meteor, on which it had been shown superior
to any other cable for deep-sea purposes and fitted in admirably
with our non-magnetic requirements.
Mounted over an outboard platform near the winch is the
28
THE EQUIPMENT
29
Paul at the Planktox-pump
This device makes a census of the microscopic Hfe floating at any desired depth.
30
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
"plankton-pump." This apparatus is lowered to various depths
to count the number of microscopic animals and plants existing
at each water-level. Due to an insuflSciency of power, our bio-
logical work was limited to the study of these minute, drifting
organisms found everywhere in the oceans. A small conical net
made of very fine-meshed silk bolting-cloth, such as millers use
in sifting flour, is attached to the end of the bronze cylinder.
A pump actuated by a falling lead weight forces a measured
The Stevenson Meteorological Shelter
On the quarter-deck housing instruments to measure temperature and humidity of
the air.
volume of sea-water through the net. One has only to lower the
apparatus to the desired depth, drop a brass "messenger" down
the wire to release the catch on the pump, and gravity does the
rest. The cylinder is closed while being lowered and raised.
This avoids contamination of the desired sample by plankton
living in the upper layers of the water.
From this description, the plankton-pump seems to be a clever
little mechanism which does its appointed task uncomplainingly.
THE EQUIPMENT
31
But of all the pieces of machinery aboard, this one required the
greatest display of ingenuity and the most severe strain on one's
Erickson, the First Mate
good humor, to keep it in operation. Wires and valves, rubber
bands and springs, weights and releasing forks — all had an abomi-
32 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
nable habit of getting tangled up once the mechanism was safely
hidden from view in the waters under the vessel. It was a rare
day when three consecutive hauls were successful. Neverthe-
less, with its aid we were able to make a census of the sea's popu-
lation in various regions and at the various depths — a valuable
contribution to our knowledge of life in the ocean. The pump
was designed by Dr. Petterssen of Norway, and had been tested
off the coast of that country by Dr. Sverdrup, a Research As-
sociate of the Carnegie Institution.
Immediately inboard from the plankton-pump platform is a
large "gear-box" filled with oceanographic instruments. Stand-
ing on the outside in ranks, like well drilled veterans, are the
reversing water-sampling bottles, designed by the late explorer
Nansen. These remarkable brass cylinders may be attached in
series to the bronze wire, lowered to the desired depths, and
reversed by dropping a brass messenger down the cable from the
ship. Each bottle has a messenger hanging at its lower end, so
that when the first bottle reverses end-over-end, its messenger
continues down the wire to upset the next. The two valves at
the ends of each bottle close automatically when reversal takes
place, imprisoning about a quart of water, to be analyzed by the
chemist in the laboratory on deck. To each of these bottles is
attached a small frame containing the all-important deep-sea
reversing pressure thermometers.
Inside the gear-box are several types of "bottom-samplers."
Some consist of brass tubes surrounded with lead weights which
fall off after the apparatus plunges into the ocean-floor. Others
operate like a clamshell or turtle's jaws, snapping up a sample of
bottom-deposit. A third kind is a long, glass-lined metal tube
with a heavy weight permanently attached to it, which procures
a vertical section of the mud or ooze, showing the successive layers
in which it has been deposited. But the sampler most commonly
used is a modification of the telegraph "snapper" of the clam-
shell type. Like the plankton-pump, this mechanism required
considerable nursing, and even some surgical operations as time
went on.
On the basis of these samples a study of the nature and origin
THE EQUIPMENT
33
of marine bottom-deposits will be made ashore. This collection
will prove of great interest, due to the scarcity of material,
Parkinson Testing the Photographic Recorder
This instrument measures the potential gradient of the atmosphere.
especially from the Pacific. Workers in the Geophysical Labora-
tory of the Carnegie Institution in Washington are interested in
the chemical analyses. From the amount of radioactive material
34 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
found in them, thorium and radium, they hope to get some idea
of the age of the Earth. Scientists studying the origin of oil-
deposits will be furnished samples. The American Telephone
and Telegraph Company wishes to determine the corrosive ef-
fects on their cables. Then too, it is now known that bottom-
living creatures feed on organic matter found in muds.
In this same box is kept the brass bucket for collecting diatoms
from the harbors we visit. These exquisite microscopic plants,
displaying inexhaustible patterns of form, are present in all the
waters of the Earth from pole to pole. They are almost the sole
food for the larval stages of fish, and are therefore of immense
importance. Some of the largest marine creatures use these tiny
plants as food. So minute are they that a hundred of them
might be placed side by side on the head of a common pin. The
harvest of fish has been noticeably increased by adding silicates
and phosphates to the water to augment the supply of diatoms,
just as nitrates and phosphates are used in agriculture. The
work on board was planned to include a study of the relation of
these chemicals to the abundance of diatoms and plankton. In
fact, the source of the silica in the surface-layers of the ocean,
where the diatoms thrive, is not well known, for the great red-
clay silica deposits are sometimes several miles below and seem
to be increasing in extent.
In higher latitudes the diatoms show great changes in abundance
with change of season, for they are plants and depend directly
on sunlight as their source of energy. It is for this reason that
they are found in a living state only in the uppermost few hundred
meters of the sea, and on the bottom of shallow shore- waters.
It is not always realized that sunlight is totally absorbed in the
clearest sea-water in less than a mile from the surface.
Leaving the gear-box we walk aft to the Stevenson meteoro-
logical shelter, which gets its name from its designer, the father
of Robert Louis Stevenson. Here are housed some of the various
instruments used in studying the circulation of the atmosphere,
just as the oceanographic equipment is used to give us a picture
of currents in the ocean. There are three forms of apparatus
for measuring the changes of humidity. One is a motor-venti-
THE EQUIPMENT
35
Nf "liii'ji^' JriVii^Ti iiiSiiij8^^
|.
■» iiiiiiiy|y I ■ MB
The Case Containing the Delicate Deep-sea Reversing-thermometers
Used not only to measure the temperature of the sea at different levels but also the
depth.
36 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
lated recording psychrometer procured in England designed to
give a continuous record of "wet" and "dry" bulb temperatures
and from this record is calculated the degree of saturation of the
air by water-vapor. Another is one unit of an electrical resist-
ance-psychrometer, which measures the humidity at three heights
over the ocean — on deck, at the main crosstrees, and at the
masthead. In the control-room, which we shall visit later, is
the automatic recorder for these three pairs of electric thermom-
eters which registers at intervals of thirty seconds the six
wet- and dry -bulb temperatures in consecutive order. The third
is of German make, and has very accurate thermometers. It
is ventilated by clock-work, and is read directly by the eye of
the observer. This is used daily to check the accuracy of the
other two.
In the shelter is also kept the little instrument for measuring
wind-velocity — the anemometer — as well as the standard sea-
surface thermometer and other meteorological equipment.
Walking aft a few feet we stand at the steering gear of the ship.
There is no cozy wheel-house on the bridge for the quartermaster
of a sailing ship ! He must stand at the very stern, with an un-
obstructed view of the sails. When sailing "by the wind" his
eye is glued to the weather-side of the uppermost sail; he keeps
it drawing a trace of wind, but never lets it fill. It is true that
the Carnegie had a "bridge," but this was used only by the pilot
when entering or leaving port, and by the lookout during the
night.
The steering gear itself is a constant source of interest to
visitors, for it is one of the many features of the old-time wind-
jammer to be found on the Carnegie. The whole mechanism is
operated by hand; a whirl of the wheel to starboard brings the
helm to port and turns the ship itself to starboard. The old-
fashioned method of giving orders to the steersman, calling "port"
or "starboard," almost wrecked us one day in Samoa, when a
shore pilot in a tight place overlooked the fact that we did not
use the modern code in which the order refers to the ship's head
and not to the helm. The binnacle, which stands before the man
at the wheel, is also a carry-over from bygone days, for the com-
THE EQUIPMENT
37
pass reads in "points" and not degrees. As each
man finishes his two-hour trick at the wheel, he
calls out to his reliever: "East by south half south,"
and not "107 degrees."
On one side of the wheel, mounted near the rail,
stands the rain-gauge; and on the other, the evap-
orimeter. The latter is made of glass, and is used
to measure the rate of evaporation of sea-water
from day to day. This subject is part of the
general investigations made of the influence on cli-
mate of movements of large bodies of warm or
cold water. We wished to study the transfer of
heat between the sea and the atmosphere; and
the evaporimeter, together with the electric resist-
ance-thermometers, gave us much needed infor-
mation.
On the taffrail around the stern is the auto-
matic recorder for the potential gradient of the
atmosphere's electricity. The negative charge on
the Earth's surface causes an electric pressure in
the air increasing with height above the Earth's
surface. Ordinarily this rate of increase or gradi-
ent is in the neighborhood of one hundred volts
per meter near sea-level. There are daily vari-
ations, aside from the local changes due to dis-
turbances in the atmosphere near the ship. We
have already referred to the mysterious surge in
the potential gradient which occurs simultane-
ously over the whole Earth. It was discovered
after examining observations obtained on previous
cruises of the Carnegie, and our aim was now to
collect records from widely separated geographical
51
J?
5J
Ji
A RiCHTER AND WiESE DeEP-SEA ReVERSING-THERMOMETER
Protected against pressures encountered in the depths of the ocean — (A) Sea-water
thermometer, (B) auxihary thermometer for making correction for air-temperature on
deck, (C) point at which mercury-capillary breaks on reversal, (D) mercury-shield which
protects bulb from pressure of sea.
38 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
regions to confirm this. Any attempt to discover the cause for
the Earth's permanent negative charge must be based upon a
knowledge of potential gradient.
This automatic recorder gives us traces at about tenfold the
rate possible with the eye-reading apparatus used on former
voyages. It is also very sensitive to changes in the electric
conditions of the air, because ionium-collectors are used. Ionium
is an element which has the property of giving "air-molecules"
in its neighborhood an electric charge, thus turning them into
"ions." These ions acting as carriers facilitate the transfer of
electricity from the air to the instrument, and eliminate any lag
during rapidly changing conditions.
We shall now walk forward on the port side of the quarter-deck
past the jaunty little dinghy hanging in its davits. The control-
room built alongside the companionway contains many essential
parts of our equipment. The time-measuring device for the
sonic depth-finder with its control-panel is located here. This
electric sounding-device, loaned by the United States Navy, is
made up of three important units, the oscillator, the micro-
phones, and the timing mechanism. A large steel-diaphragm
oscillator, set face downwards in the keel of the ship near the
stern, is put into periodic vibration by electromagnets and pro-
duces a sound-wave which is reflected from the ocean-bottom.
The echo is picked up by microphones set in the vessel's hull,
and carried to the head-phones of the observer, who sits at the
control-panel. An accurate time-measuring device gives us the
exact time-interval between outgoing signal and returning echo.
With this information we can easily calculate the depth, for the
velocity of sound in sea- water is known. It is roughly one mile
a second, depending however on the temperature and salinity.
But as these factors for each water-level are determined on board,
we are able to sound with an unusual degree of precision. For
example, the observer reports that it took two seconds for the
echo to return. This means that the sound-wave traveled about
two miles, and the sea is one mile deep. This is the underlying
principle, although actually the procedure is somewhat more
complicated.
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39
The great advantage of this method is that the ship need not
heave to and consume one or two hours for a sounding with line
and lead. A sonic depth may be made with the ship on her course
in from five to ten minutes. We are able to check these soundings
by the old-fashioned lead weight, and do so on alternate days.
Weighing the Hydhogen-filled Balloon
Followed in ascent to a height of from two to seven miles in order to plot the air-
currents.
In the large box on the floor are our pressure thermometers.
With these we have an ingenious method for checking the depths
recorded sonically and by wire. Besides this, the marvelous
instruments can tell us precisely at what distance from the sur-
face each of the "Nansen bottles" was reversed.
40 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
These German-made thermometers are of two types. Some
are protected from the enormous pressures encountered in the
deeps, and give the true temperature. Others are unprotected,
and give a fictitious reading: the sum of the true temperature
and the effect of the pressure exerted mechanically on the naked
bulb by the weight of the water-column above it. The difference
between the readings of such a pair is then a measure of the pres-
sure. By rather complicated calculations we may then convert
this to meters of depth.
The thermometers are sent down, inverted, in their frames on
the side of the Nansen bottles. They are given time to assume
the temperature of the surrounding water, and are then reversed
along with the bottle, when the messenger comes down the wire
from the surface. This reversal breaks the mercury-thread in
the tiny capillaries in such a way that the changes in temperature
and pressure encountered on the way back to the surface will
not be registered, and the observer on deck can get a true picture
of conditions at the desired depth.
By the use of these readings and the salinity-values for each
sample, we are able to calculate"dynamic pressures" for each
water-level to the bottom. Plotting the figures on a chart we
can determine the speed and direction of the ocean-currents below
the ship — a subject of great importance to oceanography. These
charts are made in much the same way as weather-maps prepared
by the Weather Bureau — based as they are on pressure readings
taken at a multitude of stations, and from which winds can be
predicted.
There are more direct means for measuring ocean-currents.
We may trace the course, speed, and direction of floating objects.
This is not satisfactory, for only the surface-current is represented,
and the effect of changing winds on the object may confuse the
true picture. A more useful method is to lower from an anchored
ship an instrument similar to an anemometer. We had insuf-
ficient power for hauling in a deep-sea anchor, and so we relied
entirely on the "dynamic-pressure" computations.
The configuration of the ocean-floor is of great interest to
seismologists studying the movements of the Earth's crust.
THE EQUIPMENT
41
Oceanographers are also able to explain certain peculiarities of
ocean-currents by the contour of the ocean-bed. But enormous
areas are still unexplored.
On the wall of the control-room hangs the German multithermo-
graph which was referred to when we looked into the Stevenson
ToRREsoN Observing a Pilot-balloon
With the specially designed theodolite loaned by the United States Navy.
meteorological shelter. Below it is an inflation-balance for use
in connection with soundings of the upper atmosphere. Rubber
balloons filled with hydrogen are released from the deck. These
extremely light globes are deflected from their upward course by
42 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
every breath of air they meet. By following them with a theo-
dolite, an instrument for measuring elevation and direction
through vertical and horizontal angles, we can study the air-
currents at heights up to six or seven miles. Besides the general
scientific interest in the movements of the Earth's atmosphere,
the aviator will some day come to rely on pilot-charts based on
these soundings, just as the mariner relies on wind- and current-
charts for the ocean-surface.
Before leaving the control-room we must glance at the long
array of switches, galvanometers, batteries, and ammeters stretched
along a table against the starboard wall. Although it is part of
the equipment for measuring the elements of the Earth's mag-
netic field, some of this apparatus contains small pieces of steel,
and must be set up well away from the observatory-domes. One
observer sits at this table to control the constant-speed motor
for the "marine earth-inductor" which we shall see later. He is
in communication through a brass speaking tube with the second
observer in the dome. At given signals he records the readings
of the ammeters of galvanometers before him.
In the control-room we also find the Sperry gyroscopic pitch-
and-roll recorder. Magnetic measurements at sea are usually
affected by small errors caused by rolling, pitching, and scending
of the vessel. Though small, these errors are important where
accurate determinations are desired of the distribution and of
progressive changes in the Earth's magnetism — as on the Carnegie.
A study based on records from this instrument has shown that
when the vessel heads on any one of the four cardinal points of
the compass, no error is introduced into the measurements. A
record of the rolling and pitching of the ship during magnetic
stations can be studied later at headquarters to detect these
disturbing effects.
We have spent a long time in the cramped quarters of this little
room, but one can see that in it lies the central nervous system of
the magnetic and oceanographic equipment. A few steps down
and we have left the quarter-deck. Standing in the waist of the
ship we see curious nets hanging from the whale-boat platforms.
These long cones of silk bolting-cloth are used to collect plankton.
THE EQUIPMENT
43
A SiLK-XET Coming Up after Being Towed from the Ship
Used to collect the microscopic forms of life floating in the ocean.
44 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
They are towed from the ship during oceanographic stations,
and may be lowered to any depth desired.
It is true that the lack of fishing and dredging equipment de-
prived us of the excitement of bringing up fantastically shaped
monsters from the deep. But in the plankton-nets we can catch
a hundred bizarre forms to every one recovered from a dredge;
we can find animals painted with all the colors of the rainbow,
whereas the deep-sea organisms are either black or red. Anyone
who has once seen these exquisite creatures through a microscope
will never again envy the man with a deep-sea dredge.
A double boat-boom projects over the water from the fore
rigging — a glorified pirates' plank, as someone has suggested.
This boom-walk was similar to that used on Beebe's expedition.
On calm days it may be lowered for the use of the biologist, who
is thus able to dip up floating objects beyond the wash of the vessel.
A step over the high doorsill and we are in the chemical labora-
tory. Here each water-sample is analyzed for salinity, phosphates,
silicates, oxygen, and hydrogen ions. All these substances are
intimately related to the life of plankton. We limited ourselves
to such determinations as could be made on board, for we had no
room to stow away samples for study ashore.
There were several unusual features about our chemical work.
The salt-content of the sea-water was measured electrically by a
resistance-bridge designed for our use by Dr. Wenner of the Bureau
of Standards in Washington. By measuring the electrical re-
sistance of a sample of sea- water, we are able to calculate its
salinity. This method was regularly checked by the conventional
titration of samples with silver-nitrate solutions.
The apparatus for measuring the so-called "hydrogen-ion con-
centration" of sea-water at various depths was ingenious. It
avoided the use of permanent color standards in test-tubes, and
gave more accurate readings than are ordinarily obtained at sea.
It was a modification of the double-wedge comparator described
in technical journals by Barnett and Barnett.
To analyze for phosphates and silicates, chemicals are added
to the specimen to bring about the development of a certain color,
the intensity of which is a measure of the phosphate or silicate
THE EQUIPMENT
45
Seiwell at Work ix the Chemical Laboratory
Analyses were made for many substances, like phosphates and oxygen, which are con-
cerned in the life of the plankton.
46 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
present. After treating with the same chemicals a second solu-
tion (whose composition is known) we have only to match the
intensity of one color against the other to obtain a value for the
unknown sample. The presence of as little as one part of phos-
phate per billion parts of water can be detected in this way.
When the reports of the oceanographer, the chemist, the
biologist are correlated, we have a good picture of the life of
plankton. We can see what limits of temperature and salinity
they tolerate; what substances they need for food; and what in-
fluence variations in sunlight, oxygen, and acidity have on their
growth.
The usual equipment of a chemical laboratory is more familiar
and will be passed by. But there are, besides this, microscopes,
dissecting instruments, and preservatives for the use of the biolo-
gist.
Over in the corner of the room is a self-recording sea-water
thermograph. This device keeps a continuous record of the
changes in surface-temperature as we sail down the latitudes.
A large bulb of mercury is mounted on the outside of the vessel's
hull. It communicates with the recorder through a capillary
tube. Any changes in the volume of the mercury in the system,
due to changes in sea-temperature, are transmitted through a
hollow coil-spring to a recording pen.
A short walk forward, a few steps up, and we are on the "bridge."
From here we can look upward at the lofty rigging, more be-
wildering in detail than many of our instruments. Or, we may
look toward the forecastle-head and see, coiled on the deck, the
two great hawsers which serve us for anchor-chains. But a weird
object, suggesting an automaton in a brass helmet, stands at the
center of the bridge, challenging attention. This is the "marine
collimating-compass." It gives us the magnetic declination, or
"compass-variation" as sailors call it.
The principles on which it operates are simple enough. We
wish to find the angular difference between true geographic north
and the magnetic north as indicated by the compass. We can
use the Sun as our point of reference, since we know its true
bearing from the ship by using the Nautical Almanac. In the
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47
collimating-compass, the card ordinarily viewed from above is
replaced by a set of vertical scales which may be seen by looking
horizontally through openings in the sides of the compass-bowl.
An observer brings the image of the rising Sun, let us say, to one
The Wenxer Salinity-bridge
An apparatus giving the salt-content in a sample of sea-water by measuring the resist-
ance it offers to the passage of an electric current.
of these vertical scales with an ordinary sextant and measures
the horizontal angle between them. With the Sun's image on
the vertical scale he can make continuous readings of its posi-
tion, as the compass swings back and forth with the roll of the
48 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
ship. By taking the mean of several hundred such readings he
has made an accurate measurement from which the decHnation
may be computed.
This instrument was designed by Peters and Fleming of the
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, and was made in its shop.
The method is superior to older methods used at sea which de-
pended on hasty readings taken as the Sun's image, or a shadow,
flits across a moving compass-card on a rolling ship. Three ob-
servers are required to take a declination-measurement. One
man's duty has been described. A second reads the altitude of
the Sun from time to time, for it seldom happens that weather-
conditions are perfect exactly at sunrise or sunset, and corrections
for altitude must be applied. The third observer is the recorder.
He must be a sleight of hand artist, because he had to write down
the readings of the other two and keep a second-to-second record
of the time when each of these is made.
On the starboard wing of the bridge is located an apparatus
for collecting the radioactive materials in the atmosphere, which
are present in only infinitesimal amounts. When a measured
volume of air is drawn through the collector over negatively
charged metal foil, the desired particles are deposited on the foil
because they carry a positive charge. Let us now follow the
observer into the atmospheric-electric laboratory, where he will
measure the amount of radioactive material collected. This
electric laboratory is located just abaft the bridge, directly amid-
ships. It is entered from the foot of the steps leading to the
bridge. The observer places the metal foil in an ionization-
chamber where the rate at which the radioactive material produces
electrified particles or ions is measured. This rate is a direct
measure of the amount of radioactive material collected.
Another instrument counts the ions normally present in the
atmosphere, by extracting them from a measured volume of
air. There are usually about 30,000 of these per cubic inch, but
their origin is unknown. Under the action of the Earth's electric
field, positive ions are traveling toward the Earth and negative
ions upward into the air, giving rise to an air-earth electric cur-
rent which makes no impression on our senses. The rate at
THE EQUIPMENT
49
which this interchange takes place would neutralize the Earth's
negative charge in a very short time, were there no recharging
agent. But radioactivity alone accounts for only a small part
of the ions produced in the air.
The Fore-riggixg
Looks very complicated from this angle — it is!
Recently, penetrating-radiation of "cosmic rays" have been
shown to ionize the air. These exceedingly powerful rays can
penetrate several feet of lead, and seem to originate entirely out-
side our solar system. An apparatus carried on board measures
the amount of this energy received by the Earth. However, it
does not appear that this accounts for more than another fraction
50 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
of the ionization of the atmosphere or of the permanent negative
charge of the Earth.
Intimately connected with the number of ions in the air is its
electrical conductivity, or its ability to carry an electric current.
It is measured in this laboratory with an automatic photographic
recorder. A stream of air is drawn through a duct past a cylinder
at its center. A small battery causes a current of one millionth
of a millionth of an ampere to pass through the air, and a delicate
electrometer measures the air's conductivity.
The air over the sea is much more free of dust than over land,
but the influence of this pollution on the elements of atmospheric
electricity is so great that systematic "dust-counts" must be
made even far from land. Some years ago, when the volcano
Krakotoa erupted, such quantities of dust were blown into the
atmosphere that it took two years for it to settle over the Earth.
Even in normal years pollution may vary from 1,000,000 particles
per cubic inch to a few thousand. When dust is abundant the
atmospheric conductivity is decreased and the potential gradient
rises to as much as 300 volts per meter. The Aitken counter is
used to determine the pollution of the atmosphere. When moist
air is suddenly expanded, the water present condenses as droplets,
provided some dust-particles are present to act as centers of
condensation. In the Aitken counter, the droplets so formed
are enumerated and not the dust-particles themselves. Not all
dust is visible under a microscope, for it is believed that such
particles as salt-spicules, and even aggregates of water or am-
monia molecules, may act as condensation-centers.
In the chart-room under the bridge is the navigational equip-
ment including sextants (sixteen of them), barometers, log books,
marine charts, and pilot-books. There are six desks where the
observers do their computing. Complete sets of graphs, tables,
and calculating books are at hand to facilitate the work. These
desks are always filled except when a magnetic or oceanographic
station is being occupied; for a large part of our duties consisted
in preparation of records. Large windows supply plenty of air
and light to the men at work.
In the center of the chart-room stands the "standard compass,"
THE EQI^IPMENT
51
Looking Down on the Bow from Aloft
52 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
which furnishes a correct reading for magnetic north. The
"earth-inductor" in the forward dome, and the "deflector" in
the after observatory, both use this compass for standard magnetic
readings.
Visitors have often expressed surprise that such a well-equipped
vessel had no gyroscopic compass, or "metal mike," as it is re-
ferred to by sailors. The apparatus may be employed to actuate
an auxiliary device, which is fast becoming standard equipment
on ocean-liners, and steers the ship automatically on any desired
heading. But on a sailing ship the course must be constantly
changed to take advantage of wind and squalls. The gyroscope
would have required precious power for operation, and would
have introduced magnetic materials on board. For these reasons
it was out of the question. Besides this, we were seldom trying
to make a bee-line from one port to another.
We shall now climb into the forward observatory-dome to
inspect the marine earth-inductor. It determines the "dip" of
the magnetic needle, or inclination. It is essentially a rotating
coil of wire which is connected to current or potential meters in
the control-room. Any coil rotating in a magnetic field, with
its axis perpendicular to the lines of force, will generate a current
in the circuit in which it is placed. It is on this principle that
ordinary dynamos operate, except that they use either permanent
magnets or electromagnets, whereas we use the feeble magnetic
field of the Earth.
If we move the coil around to such a position that its rotation
axis is parallel to the lines of force (pointing exactly to the mag-
netic pole), no current will be generated. This is true because
the magnetic field is being cut so that the effect of one half of the
coil exactly neutralizes the effect of the other. So when the
observer in the control-room signals that no current is being
produced, the man in the dome reads off the angle of inclination.
In actual practice the procedure is somewhat more complicated
than this.
In the after dome is the "deflector" which gives us the strength
of the magnetic field acting on the compass-needle. Briefly, we
balance the effect on the compass of a small magnet of known
THE EQUIPMENT
53
Using a Marine Collimating-Compassi
On Cruise VI — Dr. L. A. Bauer, Director of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
(right), Capt. Ault standing at the instrument, and Dr. Franke recording.
54 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
strength against the eflPect of the Earth's magnetism. In other
words, we find how far a measured artificial magnetic field de-
flects the compass from its normal position.
Modern magnetic charts of all oceans are based largely on the
work of the Carnegie. So promptly are our observations com-
puted and forwarded to the world's hydrographers, that the
"Variation Chart for 1930," published in October, 1929, by the
United States Navy, included our measurements through Sep-
tember. These charts are used, of course, by air-pilots as well
as by mariners.
The cabin on the Carnegie occupies the space ordinarily used
for cargo on a sailing ship. It can be entered by companion ways
from the quarter-deck or from the chart-room. Although there
are no port-holes, because the room is below the water-line, good
ventilation and light are afforded by several large skylights.
Everything possible was done to make our living quarters com-
fortable. Each observer had his own stateroom, a wise pro-
vision, because the working hours for some of the men were very
irregular. Each one could decorate his room in his own way,
and could secure a semblance of privacy.
In the cabin is the ship's library. There are books of reference,
technical handbooks, general literature, and an extraordinary
collection of books of polar exploration and oceanography. In
addition, each man has ample space in his stateroom for his
personal choice of reading.
There is a splendid phonograph with a good assortment of
records, bought chiefly by the observers themselves. A card-
table near the library was occasionally swept clear of typewriters
and account books for a game of bridge or poker. Photograph
albums and a highly-prized guest-book lie in a corner of the
book-shelf. This register contains many famous names from
every corner of the Earth, and was one of the two books rescued
from the flames in Samoa.
The center of the room is taken up by our dining-table. Around
this are eight ordinary cane-bottomed bent-wood chairs, with
brass screws instead of iron ones. They are not fixed to the
floor as in most vessels. This little detail did much to disguise
THE EQUIPMENT
55
Parkinson Making a "Dust-Count"
Even over the oceans, far from land, the atmosphere is polluted by microscopic particles
of dust — the presence of this material in the air affects the electrical conditions of the
atmosphere.
the fact that we were cooped up in a ship. Anyone who has
travelled in an ordinary steamer will know how uncomfortable
the usual swivel-chair can be — made as it is to accomodate the
56 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
fattest passenger. Only on the very rough days was it necessary
to brace ourselves at the table.
On the walls are several portraits, including one of Andrew
Carnegie, autographed with the following inscription:
"Success to the wandering Yacht
Carnegie whose world wide mis-
sion is to correct the mistakes
of others and ensure against
shipwrecks."
But even the cabin cannot be kept free of scientific apparatus.
Our chronometers lie in a row on green cushions under the book-
shelves, with time-signal head-gear hanging above them. The
constant-speed motor is here, with its shaft running forward to
the earth-inductor. A barograph gives us a continuous record
of changes in atmospheric pressure. And wedged between the
dining-table and the book-shelves is the complicated pendulum-
apparatus for measuring the force of gravity at sea.
This is no doubt the most delicate device on board. It has
been long known that, in general, gravitational attraction varies
with latitude, but certain irregularities which occur in the force
of gravity over the face of the Earth still await explanation.
Many determinations have been made on land, but only recently
have successful attempts been made to measure the mysterious
force at sea. Dr. Vening Meinesz of Holland, who designed this
instrument, used it on a circumnavigation cruise in a submarine;
and the United States Navy also loaned a similar vessel for this
purpose. A sub-surface ship is free from the disturbing motion
of the waves, and is much better suited to these studies than the
Carnegie, although it was hoped that with smooth seas useful
results might be obtained, even on a surface vessel.
Below the cabin and under the staterooms are water-tanks,
specimen , bottles, preservatives, tents, a diving-helmet, and a
general assortment of ship's gear. The wooden water-tanks kept
our fresh water very sweet even on such long stretches as from
Panama* to Callao, some three months at sea. The supply was
carefully rationed, and a reserve tank always kept for emergen-
cies. Each received about two quarts of fresh water daily for
THE EQUIPIVIENT
57
The Waist as Seen from the Royal-yard
58 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
washing hands and face, and the steward issued all that was
needed for the galleys. Every man was entitled to a full bucket
once a week for washing clothes, or for a fresh-water bath. On
the shorter trips there was an abundance for all hands, but
when rationing was strict we relied on rain squalls.
The galley for the staff mess lies just abaft the cabin. It was
always the center of attraction for feminine visitors, for they all
wished to see what a non-magnetic kitchen would look like.
The kerosene stove is bronze, and all kettles and pans are either
of copper or aluminum. On earlier cruises the cook's knives
and the table cutlery were placed in the lazarette during magnetic
observations; later it was found that this small amount of mag-
netic material did not have any effect on the instruments situated
in the domes. A small electric refrigerator is set back in a recess
from the after-galley. It served to keep us in fresh food for only
about a week after leaving port. Still, it was good to have cool
water to drink for the remainder of the trip.
We now walk past the "office" on the opposite side of the
companion way. Files of scientific records, correspondence, and
accounts line the walls and smother the desk. There are also
comptometers, typewriters, drafting instruments, and cupboards
filled with blank forms for the observations. The bathroom is
situated abaft the office. A great porcelain tub filling half the
room served chiefly as a place to drain rain-soaked clothes, since
we all preferred to take salt-water baths from a shower on deck.
Those who are interested in machinery might go up to the
quarter-deck and descend through the hatch to the engine-room.
The main engine is cast of bronze. It originally operated on
gas produced from coal, but was later adapted to the use of gaso-
line for fuel. In fact, the Carnegie was the first ocean-vessel
equipped with a "gas-producer." It could take the ship 144
miles a day without the use of sails, on seven dollars worth of
coal.
A small auxiliary gasoline engine connected to an electric
generator furnishes power for our oceanographic and magnetic
operations, as well as for radio, lighting, sounding, and recording
instruments. Large storage-batteries are provided, since the
THE EQUIPMENT
59
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60 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
demand for electric current is very heavy for such a small vessel.
As a matter of fact, a considerable part of the gasoline fuel we
carried was devoted to electric requirements.
Switch-panels for the sonic depth-finder, radio generator, and
bronze winch, line the walls. A machine-shop containing a lathe
leads off to one side while the photographic dark-room is wedged
in between the gasoline-tanks and the battery-recess. A sail-
locker and storage space for spare instrumental equipment are
also accessible from the engine-room.
It is always a relief to leave the engine-room, for it is infernally
hot. We ascend to the quarter-deck, step down into the waist
of the ship on the port side, and enter the radio cabin. A short-
wave experimental receiving set, built for us by the United States
Naval Research Laboratory, brings us time-signals, weather-
reports, and news from home. Our transmitter was powerful
enough to keep us in communication with the United States
almost every day, through the cooperation of amateurs. Special
apparatus for making investigations of radio signal-strength is set
up on the work-benches. The equipment is very complete, be-
cause the radio operator had a unique opportunity for studying
radio conditions at sea; he could correlate variations of signal -
intensity with magnetic and atmospheric-electric changes. Regu-
lar short-wave schedules gave us information about radio "skip-
distances" over the oceans.
In recent years there has been considerable interest in the so-
called "Kennelly-Heaviside conducting layer." This zone,
situated some fifty or more miles above the Earth, is thought to
be the path by which radio signals travel from place to place.
Experiments at the Laboratory of the Department in Washington
show that this layer varies in height from time to time, and can
be located by "echo-sounding." It is hoped that the radio in-
vestigations made on the Carnegie may add some information
about this radio zone.
The American Radio Relay League with headquarters in Hart-
ford recommended our first operator, Mr. Jones, and cooperated
with us throughout the whole voyage. The value to us cannot
be exaggerated of the services rendered by hundreds of amateurs
throughout the world.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
WASHINGTON TO PLYMOUTH TO HAMBURG
The long months of planning and refitting were over. Sails
were bent on the yards that for six years had been only roosts
for the birds of the Potomac River. Provisions for six months
were stowed in the lazarette aft. The whole array of scientific
equipment had passed final tests. The carefully chosen crew of
deep-water sailors had been broken in to new duties. All were
impatient for the signal to cast off the lines which held us to the
Seventh Street dock in Washington, our home port.
But it was not yet nine o'clock, our scheduled hour of depar-
ture. Every moment was precious. There were last-minute
instuctions, last-minute purchases. Friends and relatives had
collected on the little wharf, until it fairly groaned. Men and
women who had labored for weeks to prepare us for the three-
year voyage, were on hand to see us off.
So on May 1, 1928, the seventh cruise of the Carnegie began.
Whistles roared from the harbor craft, and pleasure boats jockeyed
for position to escort us down the Potomac. At midnight we
reached the mouth of the St. Mary's River in Chesapeake Bay,
and anchored till dawn. We were to spend four busy days here,
"swinging ship," to be sure that our magnetic instruments and
standard compass were not influenced by the new oceanographic
equipment. A magnetic station had been set up on shore where
simultaneous magnetic observations were made. To ensure ideal
conditions for the land-station, a magnetic survey of both sides
of Chesapeake Bay had been completed a few days previously.
Six "swings" of the ship on different headings were made, before
everyone was satisfied that all was well.
The radio outfit was given its first trials here. Schedules were
made with the Naval Research Laboratory and with headquarters
of the American Radio Relay League. And throughout these
four days, the atmospheric-electric instruments were being com-
pared with similar ones ashore whose accuracy was well known.
61
62
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The days spent here in the St. Mary's River had given the
new observers an opportunity to become acquainted with their
Captain Ault and His Family
Just before the Carnegie let go her moorings for the three-year cruise.
new duties. They now knew what a long day's work was involved
in swinging ship, a procedure we were to repeat in many parts
of the world. They learned the technique of intercomparison
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
63
Dr. John C. Merriam, President of the Carnegie Institution of Washington,
Bidding Good-bye to Captain Ault
64 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
of instruments with those ashore, for in most of the ports of call
this was to occupy a large portion of their time — especially where
there were permanent observatories like those in Germany, Peru,
Samoa, and Japan.
At dusk on May 5, all hands were summoned to heave up the
anchor for the short trip to Hampton Roads — our first passage
under sail. A stiff, steady breeze from astern bowled us along
in grand style. Although we were not carrying full sail, we had
the rare satisfaction of overtaking several steam vessels.
The three kittens prowled about over the sleeping forms of the
members of the Laboratory staff in Washington, who had come
along to test the instruments. There were no berths to spare,
so these men had to sprawl over the deck on air-mattresses. But
there were some of us who could not force ourselves to go below
for well-earned sleep. The moonlight shone gorgeously on the
smooth curves of the square sails, and the unthrobbing motion of
the vessel was exhilarating.
We were anchored off Newport News by eight o'clock next
morning, and were greeted at once by "bum-boats," little launches
which were to be our inseparable companions in every port.
They offered laundry service, taxis, provisions — everything we
needed, and some things we did not.
Everyone was impatient to put to sea, so it was a great disap-
pointment that we were forced to go into dry-dock here. The
oscillator of the sonic depth-finder required some changes, and
Mr. Russell of the Navy Yard in Washington had come to per-
sonally supervise the work. It rained incessantly, many of us
caught colds, and there was little to do after work was finished
but to poke around in the cold cabin, stowing our personal effects
for the sea-voyage.
Mr, Gilbert, Administrative Secretary of the Carnegie Institu-
tion, and Mr. Fleming, the Acting Director of our Department
in Washington, came down to see us off on May 10. We were
towed out into the Roads, and set sails, while photographers on
the tug made pictures. The breeze was just sufficient to give
us steerage way. We had cast off our last ties with shore, and
were at last headed for the open sea. Our last sight of land was
Cape Henry at sunset.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
65
It was a real relief to settle down to our ocean routine. The
hectic past months gave place to as simple a life as possible.
Meal hours were so arranged that in spite of their various duties,
the staff could eat together. The radio-operator and atmospheric
electric observers occasionally kept irregular schedules which
made this not always possible. The watch-officers and the
Engineer had their mess in the wardroom forward; and the fore-
castle was served from the same galley. The deck-force was
separated into two watches, as is usual on a sailing ship ; the men
spending four hours on and four off, with two "dog-watches" of
two hours each between four and eight in the evening.
Scientific Staff Waving Good-bye
On departure from Newport News, Virginia, for the three-year voyage.
Our first morning out. May 11, was chosen for the first magnetic
station. The ship was now fifty miles off the coast and away from
local disturbances ashore. At sunrise the officer on watch calls
the observers to the bridge for the declination-observation. When
they are assembled the ship's course is changed, if necessary, to
keep the foresail from hiding the sun. Captain Ault and Torreson
make readings of the marine collimating-compass; Erickson meas-
ures altitudes of the sun with his sextant; and Scott enters each
reading on special forms, with a time-record for each observation.
66 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
From these measurements we could tell how much the "variation"
of the compass had changed since former cruises.
After breakfast is over, and when time-sights on the sun have
been made for longitude, the observers take their places at the
magnetic instruments in the domes. Soule stands at the earth-
inductor; Torreson sits in the control-room on the quarter-deck;
and Paul reads aloud the heading of the ship from the standard
compass in the chart-room. This allows Soule to keep the
rotating coil properly oriented. As Soule places the coil in vari-
ous positions, Torreson reads the ammeter or potentiometer in
the control-room. From here he also starts and stops the con-
stant-speed motor which rotates the coil. These observers de-
termine the "dip" or inclination of the dipping-needle.
Meanwhile, Scott is in the after dome at the deflector. He
places magnets of known strength near his compass and reads off
their effect upon it. Jones makes simultaneous readings of the
standard compass in the chart-room, and records for Scott.
These two men measure the strength of the earth's magnetic
field.
The afternoon is occupied in calculating the values for the
magnetic elements. The observers were furnished special forms
for recording, and these were so printed as to make the necessary
tabulations as simple as possible. The formulae used in computing
appeared in these, together with space for entering data derived
from tables. By using these sheets it was practically impossible
to overlook essential control-records, such as air-temperatures
and chronometer-reading. It is very easy to make these omis-
sions when the observer's attention is directed primarily to the
operation of the instrument itself.
For some of us the time-keeping on board was at first quite
confusing. The ship's routine was operated on Local Apparent
Time, with a resetting of clocks every morning at eleven. Many
records were kept on Local Mean Time, others in Greenwich Mean
Time. Then there was 75th Meridian Time for certain radio
schedules, while a Sidereal-Time chronometer later became part
of our equipment for gravity-observations. In addition, for the
most accurate time-signal comparisons, an "offset chronometer"
was added, that loses one second in sixty -five of mean time.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
67
The Carnegie Being Towed Out into the Potomac
The start of Cruise VII,
68 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
After the evening time-sight and dechnation-observation, we
noticed a change in the color of the sea. It lost its grayish-green
tint and became clear blue. The seawater thermograph had
shown great variations in temperature for several hours, and now
read 75° Fahrenheit. At noon it had been only 46°. We were
in the Gulf Stream.
Whole volumes have been written about this "mighty river in
the ocean" first charted by Benjamin Franklin just prior to the
Revolutionary War. It had long been noticed that the time
consumed in a western passage from England to America was
considerably greater than for the return. But the Nantucket
sea-captains, who were all acquainted with this current, had con-
sistently been able to bring their heavy laden cargo-vessels to
Boston many days sooner than the crack English mail-packets.
This state of affairs annoyed Franklin, who was then post-
master, and he determined to investigate the cause. He con-
ferred with the Nantucket whalers, and found that they were
well aware of a "stream, on the edges of which they fish, and
that if they do not find their game on one edge, they cross the
stream, and try the opposite edge."
Franklin was not content with these reports, although the
fishermen were able to give him the geographical limits of the
current, in the neighborhood of New England. In his character-
istic manner he set out to investigate it scientifically. He says:
"A stranger may know when he is in the Gulf Stream by the warmth
of the water; the warmth of that water, which the stream forms,
being much greater than the warmth of the water on each side
of it. If the navigator is bound to the westward, he should cross
the stream, and get out of it as soon as possible; whereas, if you
get into the Gulf Stream, you will be retarded by it at the rate
of sixty to seventy miles a day I have, in the course of
my passages to and from America, made several experiments
with the thermometer on the warmth of the water within the
Gulf Stream; and of the difference at the edges."
Franklin plotted the course and limits of the current, as he had
measured them, on the chart hanging on the walls of the post-
office. He advised all American shipping to use this knowledge
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
69
in navigating the Atlantic. But when he forwarded such a map
to the offices of the Enghsh mail-company, it was scorned; for
did their captains not know more about sailing the Atlantic than
a postmaster in the Colonies? When the Revolutionary War
broke out, Franklin was well content that his advice was not
followed.
Some Members of the Laboratory Staff
Who lielped to equip the ship for Cruise VII — Mr. Fleming, Acting Director of the
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, in the center.
It was one of our chief aims to study these currents, which de-
termine to a large extent the climate of the coasts of the world.
London is six hundred miles north of New York, yet it has a
milder winter, due to the warm ocean-currents from the south
and west bathing the shores of England. So vast a capacity has
the ocean for carrying heat, that even in Spitzbergen the influence
of the "Gulf Stream" is felt.
70 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
May 12 was for several reasons a memorable date in our cal-
endar. We logged our best day's run of the cruise, 282 nautical
miles, of which the current accounted for only six. Once out of
sight of land we had met a glorious south wind which bounced
us along over a smooth sea at ten to twelve knots — a propitious
beginning for our three-year voyage.
In the afternoon we hove to for our first oceanographic station.
The sea had become more choppy, and the wind was so strong that
the ship drifted considerably. Nevertheless, we lowered our
thermometers and collecting bottles in series to a depth of 2000
meters, and put out our silk-nets to capture plankton.
While we were hove to the giant Italian liner Conte Grande
appeared on the horizon, and changed her course so as to pass
our stern by a few hundred yards. The rails were lined with
passengers who shouted their greetings and frantically waved
their handkerchiefs. It seemed that they were as glad to see us
as they would have been to see the Statue of Liberty — the Ameri-
can flag flying from our masthead was to them a symbol of the
New World to which they were going. They would have been
surprised indeed had they waited to see the "fish" we were catch-
ing with our long lines: temperatures, hydrogen ions, chemical
salts, and plankton. Certainly less exciting game than bizarre
deep-sea monsters, but more valuable to science.
We encountered difficulties at the very outset. The releasing
devices for the tow-nets were found to be too feeble for the strain
caused by the rapid drift of the ship. This meant that we could
only determine the kind of plankton in the sea, but not the num-
ber of each kind — until we obtained our plankton-pump from Nor-
way.
The thermometers chosen for the lowest Nansen bottles were
of too low a range. We had expected much lower temperatures
in the deeps than we actually encountered at this station. Ordi-
narily the water from the bottom is only two or three degrees
above freezing, while the surface may be as warm as 82° Fahren-
heit.
The sea was too rough for microscopic study of the plankton-
catches. But we could get some idea of the gorgeous colors and
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
71
Scott at the "Deflector"
An instrument to measure the strength of the Earth's magnetic field in different parts
of the world.
^ y-^ S^oW»/. GT Bask
r ■ , i V N'-v.- l"'tn nil l.Tnrt
Franklin's Chart of the Gulf Stream
In the lower right-hand corner we see Franklin discussing this "mighty river in the
ocean" with Neptune; the notation "4 minutes" means that the flow is four miles per hour
in the direction indicated.
72 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
tremendous variety of form displayed by these tiny organisms,
when we held the sample bottles to the light.
Since this Atlantic crossing was intended to be a "shake-down"
cruise, and we were to take aboard several essential oceanographic
instruments in Germany, we will not describe the routine of a
station until later. Nevertheless, the salinity of each sample
was measured by Soule, with the electric resistance-bridge; and
Seiwell determined phosphates, silicates, and hydrogen-ion con-
centration.
While May 12 gave us our best day's run, May 13 demonstrated
what strong currents may be encountered, for we made 69 sea-
miles due east from this cause alone.
The ship had been supplied with a solarimeter, for ineasuring
the quantity of radiation reaching the earth from the sun. We
gave it a first trial on the 13th, but it was at once apparent that
conditions would not be favorable for using it on a sailing ship.
The effects of rolling and pitching were minimized by mounting
in gimbals the sensitive photoelectric cell; but the greatest dif-
ficulty was shade cast by the rigging, and back reflection from
the lofty sails. After a few more trials it was found impracticable.
The information it gives is used in studies of world-weather. It
would have made an excellent adjunct to our meteorological
program, for we were concerned with heat-transfers between sea
and air, and with evaporation-rates in various regions.
For a week following our first oceanographic station we had
wretched weather and rough seas, and we did not risk losing equip-
ment to occupy a second station. However, the observers were
busy enough working up the results of the first, and getting ac-
quainted with their new duties. Besides this, many of us had to
restow our equipment to avoid breakage in the ugly seas we were
entering. Fortunately, we suffered no serious damage from
breakage during the whole cruise.
During this time echo-soundings were made at regular intervals,
and the magnetic and electric observations were not seriously
interrupted. Parkinson obtained valuable records of the electric
state of the atmosphere, in spite of the miserable working con-
ditions. He had also made many counts of the "dust-particles"
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
73
in the air. The automatic recording apparatus for potential
gradient, which had been mounted at the masthead, was moved
Captain Ault about to Remove a "Nansen Bottle"
Contains a sample of sea-water obtained from the deep — the thermometers attached
to the bottle give the temperature at the level at which the bottle was reversed.
to the taffrail over the stern, for the motion in the former location
was too violent for smooth operation. Experiments with the
74 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
earth-inductor were continued. We hoped eventually to use it
for determining the strength of the earth's magnetic field, as well
as the inclination or "dip." This work promised favorable results,
but only a long series of comparisons with the deflector would
finally prove its reliability.
While we had been anchored in St. Mary's River, a gyroscopic
stabilizer had been installed on the earth-inductor. It was
hoped that this device, in addition to the gimbal-mountings,
might make the coil more independent of the ship's motion than
the gimbals alone. But all attempts to use it had failed, because
the strain when the constant-speed motor was started or stopped
was too severe on the shafting. Several changes in design would
be necessary before it could have been employed, and after a
few more trials it was discarded for the time being.
Living conditions aboard became more and more miserable,
due to the continuous rains. The unusual strains on the deck
amidships, occasioned by the weight of the whale-boats, had
opened up tiny cracks which allowed a slow seepage into the
staterooms. We ate, slept, and worked in wet quarters. It was
almost more comfortable to don oilskins and fish for surface speci-
mens with a dip-net, in the rain. We picked up a large number
of interesting fish in this way.
Portuguese men-of-war would float by, always with a little
colony of fish swimming beneath them. It appeared to us that
that these fish fed on the tentacles of the "host." But when the
creatures were scooped up together in a dip-net the fish became
entangled in the stinging threads and paralyzed by the men of
war. Again, we would drop the submarine light into the water
at night and capture the floating life attracted to it. Jellyfish
were very abundant, many of them luminous. They often re-
sponded like a flashlight chorus on the stage, when we switched
on the depth-light for a moment. During these days, whenever
the speed of the vessel was reduced, we dropped over standard
silk plankton-nets to collect surface life.
On the morning of May 18 we occupied our second ocean-
ographic station. It failed, because of the strong wind and rough
seas. The ship was drifting as much as three miles per hour
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
75
Seiwell Inspecting a Plankton-catch
These minute animals and plants display every color of the rainbow and an infinite
variety of forms
with only enough sail to keep her hove-to. The bottle wire
stretched out to windward at an angle of 50° from the vertical,
and it was not feasible to reach down more than 400 meters.
76 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
This meant that the messengers descended too slowly to reverse
the bottles. Under conditions of this kind it is impossible to
determine accurately the depth of each bottle from the length
and angle of the wire, so the pressure-thermometers we carried
became indispensable.
The first week had been wet, but the second was rough as well,
for we struck a series of gales, some reaching storm force. When
the first one came, on May 18, those who had boasted of having
found their sea-legs had a disconcerting surprise. Torreson
scored twice. During the afternoon, while taking the time-sight
on the quarterdeck, he was thrown violently from his feet and
landed with a crash against the rail. His presence of mind saved
the sextant, for as he sprawled down the deck he thrust the in-
strument beneath the rail and held on until he could collect him-
self. Only a few hours later, in the cabin, he was thrown back-
ward out of a chair, and against the bureau in his stateroom.
Only the fact that his door was open saved him from serious
injury.
Paul meanwhile had braced himself at a computing desk in
the chart-room. When a sudden lurch hurled him out of his
seat, he grabbed the table-top and saved himself from a crash.
But his desk was wrecked, for the wood gave way and split clean
down the middle, spilling ink and papers over chart-room floor.
By this time the first watch-officer had become disgusted with
our unseamanlike behavior, and greeted each flop with picturesque
language. It was a breach of etiquette to enter the chart-room
from the windward side, as this invariably blew all the papers off
the computers' desks. Occasionally one of the party would break
the rule, only to meet Mr. Erickson's withering look, and to hear
him mutter some remark about farmers on board!
The third oceanographic station, on May 23, brought its dif-
ficulties. The deep-series of sample bottles failed to reverse
because some fibrous deep-sea organism, possibly a siphonophore,
arrested the messenger on its way down. We thought this an
unusual event at the time, but it was to prove one of our com-
monest annoyances.
That same night we watched the barograph make its first real
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
77
tumble. It was rough enough already, but some real weather
was ahead. By dawn a fresh gale was whipping the sea into a
frenzy, and we had to heave to for it to moderate. A torrent of
rain fell after the blow, to trickle its way to our book-shelves and
bunks. All attempts to stop the leaking failed; for permanent
relief we must await repairs in port. Meanwhile the ingenuity
of the party was directed to deflecting the streams of water to
the floor of the cabin by the least damaging route. Glass funnels,
rubber tubing, towels, pots, pans, canvas troughs, were all used
The Carnegie Running before the Wind
On an earlier cruise.
in an attempt to save our personal effects, and to give us dry beds.
In the end either they were successful, or else we had become ac-
customed to living under water, for we went about our work un-
concerned. Captain Ault did much to keep us in high spirits by
promising days of beautiful weather and moonlight nights in the
tropics. Our daily radio contacts with home helped as well.
On May 27 we saw the most perfect solar halo of the cruise.
There were grand arguments between members of the crew as to
what it presaged. Some thought it a sign of better weather, but
the gloomier predictions prevailed. On the next day we had the
78 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
worst storm of the passage. We were forced to heave to and ride
it out. Several of the bronze fittings in the rigging were carried
away. However, damage was not so serious that emergency
repairs could not be made. The vessel was having a bad time
of it. Time and time again seas swept the quarter-deck, something
which had rarely occurred on previous cruises. This was prob-
ably due to the load carried aft. The new winch, generators,
batteries, and so on, used for our oceanographic work, weighed
many tons.
The fogs that set in on the 30th did not add to the joy of life.
They interrupted the declination-observations, and kept a man
busy day and night at the hand-operated foghorn. It began to
look bad for our schedule. We had left Newport News nine days
late, and the head-winds we were encountering gave us a run, one
day, of 17 miles. In fact, we averaged only 29 miles a day during
the first week in June.
But on May 31 we had splendid conditions for the oceanographic
station. The wind had dropped almost to a calm. We collected
the first bottom-sample of the cruise. The snapper was lowered
at the end of the bottle wire, and brought up light gray ooze from
almost 3000 meters. This material, which consists of the skeletons
of untold billions of tiny globigerina organisms, covers the greater
part of the ocean-bottom, and is often deposited in layers many
feet deep.
In the following words Captain Ault describes our fight to gain
entrance to the English channel:
"And so through the storms, calms, and head- winds
of the North Atlantic we approached our first port, Ply-
mouth, England. But first we were made to feel the
temper of the Old Man of the Sea. For ten days before
we could enter the English Channel, we had to tack back
and forth, and run the engine against a wind which
seemed nailed down to the east point of the compass.
When we were within a few hours of Bishop Rock Light,
Scilly Islands, it began to rain; fog and mist closed in
on us, and we were compelled to stand out to sea as we
had repeatedly done.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
79
-a
ffi .
o S
H O
o
c
o
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2 -^
80 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
"After several hours, the weather cleared sufficiently
for us to head in again and at midnight to pick up the
light, thus giving us our landfall and departure up the
Channel for Plymouth. A fair wind took us to within
ten miles of Plymouth, whereupon it began to rain once
more. The fog shut down, a gale began to blow from
ahead, and we were on the point of heading out to sea as
safety had compelled u& to do again and again.
"The square-sails were taken in, the engine was
started; order had been given to tack out away from
shore, when, in a momentary lifting of the fog, I sighted
the headland two miles west of Plymouth Harbor. We
kept on, slowly forging ahead against the storm. Fi-
nally, just before dusk we slipped safely inside the break-
water where we found the pilot awaiting us. However,
even here we had difficulty, for the new cable of the
port anchor was so stiff and hard and wet from bad
weather that it kinked and could not be let out rapidly
enough to fetch the vessel up against the gale. The
starboard anchor was let go just in time to avoid danger.
"For the next two days a terrific wind blew from the
south. Had we not been lucky enough to weather the
Channel when we did, it would have sent us hurrying
back to sea for another week; for a sailing ship depends
upon wind and weather for safety as well as for progress
from port to port."
At no time during the remainder of the cruise was the sight of
shore more welcome than on the morning of June 8. It had been
tantalizing to spend a week of rain and fog almost within sight
of land, with only patches of seaweed and their swarms of large
crustaceans to prove that our voyage was nearly over. We
skirted the coast of Cornwall all day from Lizard Head to Eddy-
stone Light outside of Plymouth. The light on the Lizard was
a familiar sight to the veterans of former cruises. They had once
seen its rays reflected on the clouds at a distance of sixty-two
miles.
The vivid green of the pastures, interrupted here and there by
jutting promontories of rock and the dazzling white of light-
house towers, made this short sail one of the most beautiful of
the entire cruise. Steam-vessels of every nation, fishing-boats
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
81
Paul Withdrawing Samples of Sea-Water for Chemical Analysis
Such specimens were obtained down to a depth of three miles at some stations.
with colored sails, trawlers performing their mad dance in the
waves, all welcomed us as they passed by. But of most interest
to us was a square-rigged sailing ship with auxiliary steam-power,
which passed us some two miles away. She was the Massachu-
82 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
setts Nautical training-ship, the Nantucket, making her annual
cruise. One of the boys in training, who was aboard that day,
later joined us as a seaman.
We had not been long at anchor in the harbor when we were
greeted in the name of the British Navy by Captain Arnold. He
offered us any possible aid while we were in English waters. We
also sent ashore a cablegram to headquarters telling of our safe
arrival. This was necessary beause while in port we were not
permitted to transmit our own radiograms. The office in Washing-
ton kept on file a list of the addresses of our families and friends,
so that our message was promptly relayed.
Early next morning we were towed into the inner harbor. This
trip, ordinarily uninteresting, was thrilling on this occasion. The
powerful tug whisked us through the narrow tide-gate at a ter-
rific clip, only to find that we had gathered too great momentum
to stop in the confines of the small basin. A hawser was thrown
ashore to check our mad pace before we crashed into the dock
at the further end. It snapped, but only after it had slowed us
up considerably. A second hawser did the trick, and we found
ourselves tied up to the Millbay railroad wharf.
With what joy we stepped ashore! But the ground did not
feel so solid, after all. It took some hours for the sidewalks of
Plymouth to settle down for us, so accustomed had we become
to the gentle rise and fall of the Carnegie's decks. None of us
will forget that first meal of lamb chops, fresh vegetables, and
Devonshire cream! Plymouth was not exciting. There was
more than enough to do on board during the day — computing,
preparing records for mailing, answering official correspondence,
and so on; but in the evening we found quiet enjoyment in poking
around the historic spots of the city, or in bicycle rides over the
moors of Devonshire.
Scott usually found himself the busiest man in port, because
it was through him that orders for provisions, or for repairs, were
issued. He also had charge of pay disbursements and account-
books, to say nothing of typing the numerous letters sent to
headquarters. It was always a rule on the Carnegie to analyze
and put in form the scientific data collected on each leg of the
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
83
The Carnegie at Plymouth
After a tempestuous voyage across the Atlantic — she is lying at the berth once occu-
pied by the Danish training-ship the Kobenhavn which was lost with all hands while the
Carnegie was in the Pacific.
The Stone Commemorating the Sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers
It forms part of the pavement at the boat landing of the fishing-harbor.
84 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
cruise, for the immediate use of hydrographers and oceanographic
workers ashore. This feature of our routine kept the other ob-
servers occupied throughout our stay ashore.
For example, tables were drawn up showing the values of
declination, horizontal intensity, and inclination, as given by
the latest British, German, and American charts for the regions
traversed by the ship. Against these we tabulated the measure-
ments made on the voyage, so that errors in the charts might be
corrected in future editions. Differences of as much as 1?5 in
declination were discovered on the passage from Newport News,
with corresponding errors in the other elements. This serves to
emphasize the importance of repeated surveys of the earth's
magnetism, to determine the changes constantly taking place in
the distribution of this mysterious natural force.
All of us had an opportunity for visiting the famous Marine
Biological Laboratory of the United Kingdom, located in Ply-
mouth. Dr. Allen, the director, generously put the facilities of
the laboratory at our disposal, and we had many occasions for
taking advantage of the invitation. Dr. Atkins, the chemist of
the group, offered many useful suggestions in connection with
our work. We had a chance to inspect their research vessel, the
Salpa, and to critically compare methods. The physiological
researches being made in Pylmouth impressed us as much as the
magnificent collections of marine life displayed in the buildings.
We owe to Dr. Allen and Dr. Atkins two of the most delightful
evenings of the cruise. Both of these gentlemen symbolized in
our minds that genuine hospitality we found in almost every port
we visited. Dr. Allen invited the members of our party to a
dinner at the Grand Hotel, superbly situated, overlooking the
beautiful harbor. After the meal he escorted us through Old
Plymouth. We visited, among other places of interest, the 16th
century custom-house; the old Blackfriars monastery, now used
as a distillery; and the Mayflower stone beside the quaint fishing
harbor, marking the spot from which the Pilgrim Fathers set out
to the New World.
Soon afterwards Dr. Atkins invited us to his home in St.
Anthony's Parish, Cornwall. Visits to private dwellings were to
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
85
The Beautiful Boat-harbor at Plymouth
Showing the characteristic fishing-boats that operate in the English Channel.
The Ferry to Cornwall
Used on visit to Dr. Atkins' home in St. Anthony's Parish — the ferry moves along two
chains lying on the bottom of the river.
8G
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
prove for us the most appreciated of entertainments. The charm-
ing country-phice of Dr. Atkins, situated beside an ancient 9th
century church in a quaint Cornish vilhige, will forever typify
in our minds the English ideal of a home. Lovely walks between
the characteristic hedges radiated out from the local tavern "St.
Anthony's Bells." Beside the highway on the western shore of
the Tamar River grew a magnificent oak tree, whose beauty so
fascinated us that we returned to photograph it the next day.
This Fifteenth-century Building, Formerly Part of the Dominican Monastery
"Black friars" — now the home of the famous Plymouth Gin.
Like the giant sequoias we were to see in California, it must have
had many tales to tell of the past. It had doubtless looked se-
renely down on the successive invasions of England a thousand
years before the Pilgrim Fathers sailed out of Plymouth.
Our first Siuiday was devoted to an all-day motor-trip through
Devonshire. It did much to satisfy our hunger for a taste of the
green landscapes for which this country is famous. We struck
out inland over the rolling moors north and east of Plymouth;
lunched at Exeter; and returned along the coast through Dawlish
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
87
and Torquay. At the Rougement Hotel in Exeter we had our
first serious difficulties with pounds, shillings, and pence. Tor-
reson had been chosen treasurer for the occasion. On settling
the bill he nonchalantly waved aside as a tip the change from a
Bank of England note, only to realize a moment later that the
waiter received as much as the hotel for the hearty meal we had
been served! If any of us ever return to Exeter we will know
where to get prompt service!
The Cathedral at Exetek
Visited by the staff of the Carnegie while on their Sunday excursion into Devonshire.
The following day we installed the newly purchased Negretti
and Zambra recording psychrometer in the Stevenson metero-
logical shelter on the quarter-deck. This instrument gives us a
continuous record of the changes of humidity. The air is drawn
over the "wet" and "dry" bulbs by an electric fan, for the ac-
curacy of the readings depends to a large extent on the ventilation
of the bulbs.
During these days groups of technical students came aboard
to inspect our equipment and to hear about our work. It was
88 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
always a pleasure to show these men about the ship, for they
seemed to carry away a wider vision of the mission of science,
whether or not they were personally interested in geophysics or
oceanography.
Soon after our arrival in Plymouth, Parkinson was called to
London on account of the illness of his father. He found Mrs.
Parkinson and his son there, who had left Washington soon after
we did. They were about to leave for Australia, where they were
to await Mr. Parkinson's arrival in December, 1929. It had been
planned that Mr. Johnston, in charge of the Watheroo Magnetic
Observatory, would relieve him in Sydney.
A few days later. Captain Ault, Soule, and Jones also went to
London, on business for the Carnegie. On the voyage across the
Atlantic one of the cells of the salinity-bridge was found to have
too high a resistance, and it was hoped that the National Physical
Laboratory at Teddington might be able to correct the condition.
Jones purchased some radio supplies not available in Plymouth.
Before returning they saw a delightful musical comedy, "Clowns
in Clover," containing a song which became one of the favorites
on board, "Little Boy Blues."
On June 16 we were paid a visit by Sir Frank Dyson, Astrono-
mer Royal of England, who came down from London especially to
see us. He was well acquainted with the work of the vessel, and
had known Mr. Parkinson, who was at one time employed at the
observatory in Greenwich. Our distinguished guest stayed aboard
for tea and dinner, and made a very thorough inspection of the
equipment. He was apparently as delighted with the vessel
and our prospects as we were to have him with us.
The second Sunday gave some of us a chance to visit the pic-
turesque villages on the Cornish coast. Paul had gone ahead the
night before on his bicycle, and expected to meet the others at
Looe for a trip to the fascinating village of Polperro. But through
some blunder in meeting the bus the connection was not made,
and he proceeded alone, leaving the others to explore the seaside
resort at Looe.
At this place there are tide-pools which are happy hunting
grounds for the marine biologist. Almost the whole range of
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
89
Sir Frank Dyson, Astronomer Royal of England
Paid the Carnegie a visit during the stay in Plymouth — Parkinson at one time worked
in the Greenwich Observatory under Sir Frank Dyson's direction.
90 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
species characteristic of English shore-Hfe are found on these weed-
covered flats: limpets and sea-anemones, blennies and sea-cu-
cumbers, prawns and algae.
The town of Looe itself is built upon the cliffs surrounding the
boat-harbor. One looks down at the tiny fishing-boats, propped
up with stilts at low tide, or careened over on their beam-ends.
Great racks along the waterfront display the drying nets; and
over the whole scene innumerable screeching gulls whirl and
dive for the morsels of fish discarded by the fishermen.
Polperro is a town of the imagination. At every turn one
expects to meet a pirate, or a wrecker returning gaily from his
nefarious business of dismantling a ship put aground by the
falsifying of lights along the shore. Some of the quaint houses
are no more than niches cut out of the precipitous walls of the
gorge. Others perch on stilts on the mud-flats below. Polperro
justifies its claim of being the most paintable village in Cornwall.
Certainly there are no thrills left for a cyclist who has once ped-
alled over the crazy cliff roads surrounding the village. And
anyone who has navigated a bicycle with brakes on the front
wheel will appreciate how exciting a twenty per cent grade can
be, when the path is but ten inches wide, and a hundred-foot
cliff begins two or three feet to one side!
Before we left Plymouth, Dr. Allen of the Marine Biological
Laboratory informed us that a complete set of the reports of the
famous Challenger Expedition had arrived, and he invited us to
take them with us for our work. This set, numbering about
sixty large tomes, had been collected for us by the Royal Society.
The task was not simple, for many of the volumes had been long
out of print and for that reason were almost priceless. But to
safely stow away aboard the Carnegie such a bulky library was
out of the question. Each member of the party took only those
volumes which would be most useful in his work, leaving the others
ashore. The destruction of these books in the fire at Samoa must
be considered one of the major losses of equipment.
By June 18 the necessary repairs had been completed, provisions
had been stowed away, the scientific records were mailed to the
United States, and we were ready to square the yards for the short
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
91
voyage to Hamburg. At high tide we were towed out past the
breakwater, picked up a gentle westerly breeze, and headed for
the narrow Straits of Dover. The channel was smooth all the
way, and with fair winds and no fog we made splendid progress
through the narrow waters always dangerous for a sailing ship.
Entering the Elbe River
Fog shut down a few moments later and we played hide-and-seek with the pilot-boat — •
an officer on a passing ship sent us this photograph when we arrived in Hamburg.
On this passage no complete oceanographic stations were oc-
cupied, but Seiwell collected many samples of surface water for
phosphate-analysis.
The breeze hauled ahead as soon as it had put us safely past
the Straits, and the whole North Sea passage was made by use
of the engine. We passed the chalk cliffs of Dover just as they
were tinted with rose by the sun rising ahead of us. Everything
went well along the Dutch and German coasts, the lights being
easily identified. But when we were about to pick up the light-
92 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
ship at the mouth of the Elbe River, fog and rain blotted out all
landmarks. We knew that a pilot-vessel must be waiting for us
somewhere in the offing, but it was hopeless to find her now.
From time to time a passing steam-vessel gave us a clue to the
proper course, but the strong flood-tide made us uneasy lest we
should drift on to a sand-bank. For a moment the fog lifted, and
we caught a glimpse of a tall mast off the bow, toward which we
headed in the hope that it might be our pilot-vessel Only after
a long game of hide and seek did we finally locate her. Our guess
was right, and we were now sure of a safe entrance to the Elbe.
Once inside the river we picked up a tug-boat and enjoyed a
beautiful fifty-mile trip up the busy river. We had a splendid
view of summer resorts and yacht-clubs which lined the banks,
and we exchanged greetings with giant liners passing us on their
way to the four corners of the world.
At dusk we reached Hamburg. What indescribable traffic
congestion! The water was alive with tugs and barges darting
here and there like water-spiders, always avoiding collision by
a hair's breadth. We had to elbow our way in to a berth on
the Vorsetzen to get a good seat for the fascinating spectacle.
Our mooring-lines were hardly made fast when Dr. Sverdrup, the
well-known explorer of the Geophysical Institute at Bergen, Nor-
way, jumped aboard to bid us welcome. He had come down to
Hamburg, with his bride, to help us install the new oceanographic
equipment we were to take aboard here. Dr. Sverdrup, as a
Research Associate of the Carnegie Institution, had been con-
sulted frequently during days when the expedition was being
planned, for he had a rich oceanographic experience. It was
always pleasant to have a familiar face to greet us in foreign ports,
the more so in a country new to the Carnegie, such as Germany.
Early the following morning we received a most hearty welcome
from the German Government and many scientific societies.
Dr. Wilhelm Blaschke, Rector of the University of Hamburg;
Admiral Dominik, President of the German Hydrographic Of-
fice; Dr. Kurt Burath, magnetician of the same institution;
Dr. Defant, Director of the German Oceanographic Institute in
Berlin — all called in turn to offer us any possible aid in the prose-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
93
cution of our researches. Dr. Defant, as special representative
of the State of Prussia, invited us to BerHn to a joint meeting of
the Geographical and Oceanographic Societies, which had been
called in our honor, and asked Captain Ault to deliver a lecture
on the program of the Carnegie. Dr. Burath was designated our
official host throughout our stay in Germany, and was tireless in
his attention to our needs. He supplied official automobiles
Welcomed in Germany by Government Officials and Leaders of Scientific
Societies
Left to right: Dr. Burath and Admiral Dominik of the German Seewarte; Dr. Sver-
drup of the Geophysical Institute at Bergen, Norway; Captain Ault; and Dr. Defant,
Leader of the German Atlantic Expedition of the Meteor, and Director of the Institute of
Oceanography in Berlin.
whenever we desired them, and a large launch for our magnetic
work down the river; he acted as guide in our visits about the
city, and called many times daily to inquire after our comfort.
We were swept off our feet by this unexpected cordiality on the
part of our German scientific colleagues. It was apparent on
every hand that the twenty -five years of research carried on by
our Department in Washington was nowhere appreciated more
than here.
94
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Later on that morning we paid our first visit to the Deutsche
Seewarte, a combined hydrographic and meteorological institu-
tion, proudly situated on a hill overlooking Hamburg harbor.
This organization is justly famous for its progressive and meticu-
lous research into problems of marine and aerial navigation.
With one accord the members of the Seewarte staff shook our
hands in the heartiest manner, as "fellow countrymen of Matthew
Fontaine Maury"! It must be admitted that some of us were
The Carnegie Party at the Hagenbeck Zoo, Hamburg
In the front row are Dr. and Mrs. Sverdrup, the superintendent of the park, and Dr.
Burath of the Seewarte.
mystified at first. As we came in we had noticed a bust promi-
nently displayed at the entrance to the building, and this was
pointed out to us as Maury's statue. It only goes to show how
a prophet is without honor in his own country. Had not Maury
created with his own hands the modern science of marine meteor-
ology.^ Had he not made the first modern bathy metric charts .^^
Had he not developed the electrically controlled submarine-mine
as a defensive weapon in warfare.'^
The time was too short to see more than the magnetic and
oceanographic divisions of the institution, because a tour of the
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
95
city had been arranged for us. That afternoon several resplend-
ent Benz cars drove up to the gang-plank. The liveried chauf-
feurs, wearing the insignia of the Free City of Hamburg and
Dr. Burath, Official Host, Hamburg
Before the hangars of the great aviation-company, the Deutsche Lufthansa — several
of our party were invited to fly over the city in the company's splendid planes.
carrying the flag of the city on their machines, took the right of
way through the busy afternoon traffic. No doubt about it —
we were welcome in Hamburg.
96 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
We drove through the busy waterfront streets, past the beauti-
ful residential sections near the Alster, to the outskirts of the
city, and found ourselves at the Hagenbeck Zoological Park.
Dr. and Mrs. Sverdrup were with us, and Dr. Burath accompanied
us as host. A moment later and we were on our way through the
fascinating display of animal life, with the Superintendent per-
sonally acting as guide. This park is unique. Each group of
animals lives in surroundings made artificially to resemble its
native habitat. The collection is more complete than any other
in the world. It even contains prehistoric monsters cast in cement
in the most lifelike of poses. There are about thirty men con-
stantly in the field bringing back new animals or replacing older
ones.
The Hagenbecks supply animals to circuses all over the world,
and the young performers are trained here in their own kinder-
garten. The little creatures troop out in groups and receive their
instruction, just as children do: they are spanked when naughty,
and get extra big helpings of dessert if they do their work well !
The park is worth a long visit — even to the busiest visitor to
Germany.
The following day was Sunday, so we accepted Dr. Burath's
invitation to spend it in the magnificent country north and east
of the citv. The same official cars were on hand, and we tore
through the streets, with flags flying. Traffic police gave us the
right of way as before, and saluted as we whizzed by. If we ever
suffered from inferiority complexes, this treatment cured us once
for all.
Our drive took us over rolling farm lands, through the famous
Bismarck Woods, into Schleswig-Holstein, and out upon charming
lake-country roads. We were continually arguing whether to
penetrate further the rich country, or to stay a little longer
at some charming cross-roads inn.
The day was not over at sundown. We were to taste the night-
life of Hamburg. Certainly none of us have ever lived in a city
which so abounds in evening entertainments. There are operas
or Inlays for the more serious minded ; cafes which serve symphonies
with the pastry; midnight revues and cabaret-dancing; and for
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 97
those who would entertain themselves an endless list of taverns
and night-clubs with American jazz orchestras for dancing.
Even by Monday we had not come down out of the clouds.
The famous aviation concern, the Deutsche Lufthansa, invited
some of us to fly over the city in one of their cabin-planes. It was
Mrs. Sverdrup's first flight, but her anxiety was soon dispelled
when the giant air-liner smoothly roared its way off the ground.
The earlier part of the morning had been spent in an inspection
of the various meteorological establishments in Hamburg. We
called at the Seewarte for the second time to see the meteoro-
logical section at work. One of their most interesting activities
is the preparation of pilot-charts for the upper air. German
aviators have this wonderful organization working for them day
and night. Observers are trained here, and send up pilot-bal-
loons from the decks of German liners bound for all parts of the
world. The results of these observations are published within a
few hours of their receipt by radio, along with the reports of the
numerous stations in Europe. It is apparent that the Germans
are laying the foundations of a great over-seas air commerce.
Ocean flying to South America, on a commercial scale, is upper-
most in their minds.
We later drove out to the meteorological observatory at Gross-
borstel, where we saw the experimental wind-tunnels in operation,
and a pilot-balloon ascension. We were keenly interested, for
we were soon to do this work ourselves in the Pacific.
The busy morning ended with an official luncheon held in our
honor in the Rose-room of the Town Hall. The elaborate affair
was attended by many of our colleagues at the Seewarte and the
University, most of whom spoke English fluently. Choice wines
and tobaccos were provided for those who desired them, and a
round of speeches of felicitation ended the ceremony. Captain
Ault answered in his best style the toasts for our party.
The feeling of comradeship which was present at this gathering
was very genuine. These men, who had for years followed
eagerly the scientific studies of the Carnegie Institution in jour-
nals, took this opportunity for showering us personally with
their gratitude. Their final act of appreciation was the presenta-
98 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
tion of a photograph of Maury's statue, which stands at the
entrance to the Hydrographic Office. This picture was placed
on the wall of the cabin, when we returned.
During the speeches in German which followed the dinner,
some of us had difficulty in keeping our eyes on the speaker.
The ceiling was decorated with full length paintings of the daugh-
ters of the successive mayors of Hamburg. Each buxom lass
was posed as a rose in a thorny bush — and from this feature of
the decorations the room derives its name.
On June 26, Captain Ault, Dr. and Mrs. Sverdrup, Parkinson,
Torreson, and Paul, proceeded to Berlin where they were to at-
tend the special joint meeting of the Geographical and Oceano-
graphic Societies, and to confer with various scientists in con-
nection with our work and new equipment. Parkinson took some
of his instruments along, which he was to compare with those at
the Potsdam Magnetic Observatory and elsewhere. The party
was met at the station in Berlin by Dr. Defant and Dr. Wiist,
who had reserved hotel rooms for them. The evening was spent
in informal conferences with these distinguished scientists.
While they were in Berlin, Seiwell was visiting the famous
Marine Biological Station on Heligoland; and Soule, Scott, and
Jones were busy in Hamburg installing new apparatus on board,
and surveying a site for a shore magnetic station to be occupied a
few days hence.
The party in Berlin spent the morning of June 27 inspecting
the Institute of Oceanography. They had the good fortune to
meet personally the various members of the great German At-
lantic Expedition of the Meteor, and to profit by the practical
knowledge these men had acquired in their recently completed
three-year cruise of the South iVtlantic. The offices of this ex-
pedition were extremely busy, for they aimed to complete the
publication of their scientific results within five years — a stupen-
dous task. This visit was a very profitable investment of our
time. We could get here a fine perspective of the whole field of
oceanography, and could see the correlation of the physical,
chemical, and biological phases of the science. The immediate
results of these conferences were numerous. We modified some
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 99
of our equipment, ordered additional instruments, and accepted
the loan of some of their most satisfactory devices.
While making the rounds of this institution, we were paid a
visit by Mr. Richter and Mr. Wiese, renowned makers of deli-
cate glass instruments. They had supplied us with our deep-
sea reversing-thermometers, and many other highly specialized
pieces of equipment. It was almost uncanny to meet these two
gentlemen in the flesh; for in our minds they had heretofore been
"Richter and Wiese," an impersonal, superhuman firm which
did unbelievable things with glass. We placed an order for ad-
ditional pressure-thermometers, and turned over to them the
difficult task of reducing the resistance of the third cell of the
salinity-bridge, which we had failed to repair in London. Cap-
tain Ault also commissioned them to make duplicate surface-film
thermometers for the evaporation-apparatus on board, lest the
one we had should be broken, and leave us handicapped.
The evening was devoted to the festivities arranged in our honor
by our German colleagues. The party collected at the Geographi-
cal Society, and proceeded to the Auditorium, which was already
filled with a distinguished audience. Many familiar faces greeted
us; and there were physicists, magneticians, explorers, whom we
had known only through print. The meeting was called to
order by Dr. Krebs, the President of the Geographical Society.
Dr. Sverdrup, who needed no introduction to this audience, and
who was heartily applauded when he rose to speak, opened the
proceedings by delivering a fifteen minute address in German.
He sketched l^riefly the story of the Carnegie, and summarized,
for those who did not understand English, what Captain Ault
was to say about our plans for Cruise VII.
During the interval between his speech and that of Captain
Ault, a figure was seen to enter quietly and take a seat in the rear
of the hall. Dr. Krebs spied him, and told the audience that it
was Filchner, the noted explorer, who had only that day returned
from a hazardous expedition through Tibet and Central Asia
The outburst of enthusiasm that greeted this announcement was
immense.
When Captain Ault rose to speak, he received an even warmer
100 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
applause. He spoke briefly of the previous cruises of the Carnegie,
and went on to describe the new program in oceanography. It
was apparent that the majority of the hsteners understood him,
for without fail his occasional humorous touches were greeted
with appreciative smiles or laughter. He closed his lecture with
lantern-slides and moving-pictures, and gave a running descrip-
tion of each subject as it was flashed on the screen.
The final event of the meeting was the presentation to Captain
Ault of a magnificent volume, just off the press, commemorating
the hundredth anniversary of the Society.
After the meeting, our party was entertained by the members
of the Geographical Society at a charming informal supper in a
large restaurant. A spirit of good fellowship reigned. We had
an opportunity for interchange of experiences with these inter-
esting people, who were all anxious to do anything they could to
further our jjlans and make our stay pleasant.
On the following morning we visited the observatory at Potsdam,
leaving Parkinson there to complete intercomparisons of his
instruments. Paul left that day for a trip to Bavaria by plane,
and the others returned to Hamburg to receive the return visit
of the scientists who had entertained us in Berlin. The staff of
the Potsdam Observatory, the members of the Oceanographic
Society, and others, made this journey to inspect the vessel and
to offer suggestions based on their own experience. They were
all favorably impressed with working conditions aboard, and
many expressed a regret that they could not join us.
Following these suggestions, we had the winch-head turned
down to hold about 10,000 meters of piano-wire for sounding
and for collecting bottom-samples. This modification would
make the sounding independent of the water-sample series. It
would allow us to check the sonic depth-finder by wire-lengths
as well as with pressure-thermometers, for it was not feasible to
reach depths greater than 5500 meters with the larger bronze
wire. The piano- wire was generously supplied by the Meteor
Expedition. They also gave us a glass-lined bottom-sampling
tube, which they had found useful in the South Atlantic. It is
superior to the snapper-type sampler, because it gives a vertical
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
101
TtiElCarnegie Dressed for the Fourth of July
We saw many square-rigged ships in this harbor.
102 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
section of the deposit, and plunges into the sediment to a greater
depth.
On Sunday the party attended the annual regatta of the Ham-
burg Yacht-Club. We were ushered to seats near the trans-
Atlantic flyers, Koehl, Hiinefeld, and Fitzmaurice, who had just
arrived. These men presented the trophies to the winning shells.
Hamburg is extremely fortunate in having preserved Alster Lake,
and it was here that these races took place. It was one of the
many features to make us realize that a busy city may also be
made beautiful.
The Carnegie had many visitors every day. Distinguished
scientists and technical students, city officials and sightseers,
all were taken on the rounds. And on the evening of July 2
we gave a reception to the American Consul and his guests. Dr.
and Mrs. Sverdrup left for Oslo that same afternoon. We had
enjoyed their company very much during their stay with us.
The Carnegie was dressed up for the Fourth of July along with
the other American vessels in harbor, but there was no holiday
for her crew. We were towed into dry-dock across the river.
There were some important repairs to make. The copper-sheath-
ing had suffered from the rough Atlantic crossing; the winch was
to be modified to hold piano-wire; the electrical psychrometer
had not yet been completely installed ; and there were numerous
smaller details of equipment to look after. Spare coils of alumi-
num-bronze cable were stowed away. The Petterssen plankton-
pump, which had been tested by Dr. Sverdrup in the coastal
waters off Norway, was taken aboard. Standard Assmann hand-
psychrometers were added to our meteorological equipment.
These were furnished by the Deutsche Seewarte, and were used
to calibrate the recording psychrometers on board. Plankton
collected on the voyage from Newport News was shipped to
Washington, and provisions for the next run of the cruise were
stowed below.
During these last days in port, Soule, Torreson, and Scott had
occupied a magnetic station at Finkenwarder, a small town below
Hamburg. They were taken to and from their work in grand
style — a splendid harbor-launch being furnished by the Seewarte.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 103
Commenting on our experiences in Germany, Captain Ault
says :
"Our stay in Germany has been unusually profitable
and inspiring. To meet so many scientists who are
enthusiastic about our prospects, who indicate so
strongly the importance of the data we are securing, and
who are so keenly interested in the many problems to be
solved, has given us a better view of the task before us,
and we shall go ahead with renewed enthusiasm."
On July 7, two weeks behind schedule, we said good-bye to our
German friends. We were towed down the river past Heligoland
before we picked up enough breeze to fill the sails.
HAMBURG TO REYKJAVIK TO BRIDGETOWN TO
PANAMA
The vessel was now well equipped for oceanographic research,
and we were all eager to give the equipment its first trials. The
new resistance-thermometer equipment, for measuring humidity
at three levels above the sea, was recording satisfactorily. Re-
pairs had been well done to the vessel and the machinery, and
the party was in a fine frame of mind for the long voyage to the
West Indies by way of Iceland.
We headed due west to get clear of the coast, then turned north-
ward a bit to skirt the bold cliffs of the Shetlands and the Faroes.
Vivid green pastures were set here and there in these forbidding
rock-masses, like unmined emeralds; and occasionally a whole
tal)le-top of green rolled upwards from the precipitous coasts.
Between the Faroes and the southeast corner of Iceland we
encountered some of the roughest water of the cruise. On July
14 the wind hauled ahead and for six days we fought for every
mile westward by using our engine and fore-and-aft sails. It
began to look like a repetition of our experience in entering the
English Channel.
On July 15 we sighted the dazzling Oraefa Glacier on the
southern coast of Iceland. Although it was sixty miles away,
this stupendous ice-mass, seven thousand feet high and fifty
104 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
miles wide, glittered in the sun like an enormous heliograph.
For some mysterious reason, the sight of it suggested a shower-
bath on deck. The pump was started, and several of the party
braved the cold salt-water and icy wind. The copper stove was
set up in the cabin, serving to dry out our clothes and to keep the
quarters more comfortable.
Once we had sighted the entrancing coast, no mere head-wind
could discourage us from paying a visit. So day after day we wore
ship and tacked against the westerlies. Every time we closed
in on the pitiless coast, mist or rain would shut down on us, while
there were also strong currents to contend with. All this made
navigation hazardous. After we had averaged only sixty miles
a day for five days, and not always in the desired direction. Cap-
tain Ault became disgusted. He announced his intention of head-
ing down to St. John's, Newfoundland, on the following day if
conditions did not improve. But our little engine kept bravely
at its task, and the next morning found us well up in Faxe Bay,
having rounded the point unawares in the gloom.
Not the least of the dangers encountered along this coast had
been the erratic behavior of the compass. There are masses of
subterranean magnetic materials which cause local deviations
of many degrees. With the poor visibility often met with, one
is almost forced to rely on his compass, so that an accurate mag-
netic variation-chart is nowhere more essential than on a coast
like this. It was for these charts that the Carnegie was busy
making observations. The whole southern coast is strewn with
wrecks. Many of them must have come to grief through too
implicit reliance on the compass-needle. So treacherous are
the waters, that at every small cove or beach the government
has established caches of food, clothing, and water, for ship-
wrecked mariners.
Our entrance to Reykjavik was uneventful except for the annoy-
ing drizzle and rain-squalls that intermittently hid our landmarks.
Heavily laden trawlers passed us from time to time, wallowing
miserably in the choppy seas. One wave after another would
sweep their decks, while our buoyancy was such that we bobbed
up and down like the sea-gulls around us. A few of the party
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
105
were still uncomfortable from the motion of the vessel; but one
look at the trawlers dispelled whatever feeling of self-pity they
A Salt-water Shovvek
On deck in the shadow of Vatna Glacier, Iceland.
might have had. These little vessels go out every day in the
year, facing the gales and the sunless days of arctic winter.
On this passage only two oceanographic stations were occupied.
We were already nine days behind schedule and the time required
106 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
for tacking against head-winds made it undesirable to heave to.
Besides this, the sea was so rough and winds so strong that the
results would have been doubtful. The other researches were
uninterrupted, however. By proper vigilance we were able to
spot the sun in the mornings and evenings, long enough to get
good declination measurements.
So on July 20, we came to anchor at Reykjavik, the capital
city of Iceland. The first to meet us was an old friend of former
cruises, Mr. Sveinston, a journalist. When the Carnegie had
arrived here in 1914, from her long voyage to Spitzbergen, this
gentleman brought the news that war had broken out in Europe.
But this time he could not surprise us so readily, for we had been
constantly in touch with shore through our radio schedules with
amateurs scattered all over the world. Mr. Sveinston kindly
offered us his services as guide, should we have time to make any
excursions into the interior.
We were playing a phonograph record, "Fifty Million French-
men Can't Be Wrong," when we heard a strange voice in the
chart-room humming the chorus. It proved to be Monsieur
Simon, the French Consul! He introduced himself as an old
resident of Washington where he had served in the French Con-
sular Service. Monsieur Simon at once offered us the use of his
home, and lost no time in arranging a round of social activities
on shore.
Days were literally endless in Reykjavik. There was no night
at all. One day merged into another with only a short period of
midnight dusk to mark their passing. Perhaps this is why the
party could condense so many varied activities into our week's
visit. When the official day's work was over at four or five o'clock,
there were still almost eight hours of daylight in which to amuse
ourselves.
For those who wish to take walks there are hot springs and
geysers to see, volcanic craters to explore. Green meadows and
flower-gardens are inviting. There are highways to travel over
by auto. The harbor is alive with interesting creatures. Giant
medusae, some measuring many feet in length, float alongside
the ship. Sea-parrots, eider-ducks, and cormorants, fly by on
their way between the numerous islands in the bay.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
107
The "Meal-Sack"
A picturesque rock which stands as an outpost to the entrance of Reykjavik harbor
in Iceland.
The Great Art-museum at Reykjavik
We were very much impressed by the high state of culture in Iceland.
108 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The day after our arrival was spent in examining the mag-
netic station on Engey Island, where observations had been
made in 1914. Tents were pitched, and the hay-field cleared for
the potential-gradient comparisons. That evening Monsieur
Simon held a dance at his house. We were introduced to several
attractive young ladies of the island. Many of them had studied
in the ITnited States, others had spent some years in England or
the Scandinavian countries. All spoke English (or American!)
better than we. We also met some of the officers of the Danish
cruiser, Fylla, stationed here for part of the year to patrol the
fisheries.
This event served to show us how little we knew about Iceland.
Nowhere did we discard more false notions about a foreign
country than we did there. The climate in Reykjavik was found
comparable to that of New York. Snowfall is moderate and soon
melts away. The mighty Gulf Stream, in its journey of thousands
of miles, still holds enough warmth to keep the main harbors free
of ice, and permits the growing of the usual household crops.
Grass is abundant, and sheep and ponies are bred on a grand
scale.
Life in Reykjavik is not unique, except for the very short day-
light in winter, and the virtual absence of night during the sum-
mer. We were not far enough north to experience a midnight
sun, but one went to bed in daylight and an early riser was many
hours behind the sun.
Instead of finding a squalid fishing-village, composed of har-
dened toilers of the sea, fighting a cruel nature for a meagre
living, we found perhaps the highest general level of culture of
our whole cruise. Libraries, museums, model schools, hydroelec-
tric power, airplane transportation, orchestras, and choral socie-
ties; a generous, intelligent population, at home in the world,
reading good books and plays — truly a different picture from that
we had brought with us.
We found there a successful solution to a great social problem.
Once a notoriously rum-drinking community, Iceland has by a
gradual process of popular education and government control
closed all open saloons. By limiting the sale of liquor to wines
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
109
and beer, it has virtually eliminated distilled spirits and has not
fostered the growth of a "bootlegger" class. The only source of
wines and beer is a government dispensary in which there is no
display or advertising. No alcoholic beverage may be obtained
elsewhere except in two large restaurants, and here only with
regular meals. The absence of any signs of drunkenness was
notable, and as a result of this policy drinking has never become
the "thing to do" among the young people.
An Icelandic Woman in Native Dress
The girls wear the latest Parisian costumes until they are married at which time tliej-
revert to the ancient dress of black cloth and ornamental skull-cap.
On Sunday, Mr. Sveinston conducted us on an all-day trip
to the famous valley of Thingvalla. This magnificent plain is
about forty miles by auto from Reykjavik, and is the place where,
exactly one thousand years ago, the first parliament of the world
was organized. Stretching to the bases of the distant volcanoes
are green pastures, intersected by streams and lakes. Here and
there over the landscape are great fissures in the lava-field, where
water has collected, forming deep pools which display every con-
ceivable shade of blue. A romantic spot in a romantic country !
110
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
One of the small lakes at the base of a lovely waterfall, has a
name which means "Drowned Woman." In the early history of
Automobile Road in Iceland
This one built in lava-fissures, leads to Thingvalla Plain.
Iceland all female criminals were brought here and drowned, while
the men were beheaded. Even today an Icelander is assured of
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
111
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112 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
justice of the sterner sort, free from the exaggerated sentimental-
ism found in other civilized countries.
Another of these pools is called the Reserve Bank of Iceland,
for each visitor tosses a coin from his homeland into the sapphire
waters. Money from every land lies here on the bottom, glit-
tering in the sun, and far too deep in the cold waters for a passing
sneak-thief to recover.
There were several Norwegian tourists at Thingvalla that
day, many of whom had come out on the handsome Iceland
ponies. These little beasts carry enormous loads uncomplain-
ingly, and can go without food for several days if necessary. We
never found an opportunity for riding on them, although they
are still the chief means of transport throughout the island.
We had not been long in the valley before we were wandering
about in shirt-sleeves. It was uncomfortably hot in the blazing
sun. The management of the little inn had been notified by
telephone that they were to expect some distinguished guests.
They had gone to particular pains to procure the greatest delica-
cies known to an Icelander. Imagine our dismay when we found
spread before us canned salmon, canned sausage, canned beef,
canned butter, canned fruit! Surely a mistaken way to treat
eight hungry sailors, when out of the window they could see fresh
mutton grazing beyond the fence of the vegetable garden !
On the return journey we visited a few of the numerous small
craters which line the highway, and some of the party walked to
the modern hydroelectric plant supplying the city with power.
On the outskirts of the town are many hot springs which furnish
the town with continuous hot water for laundering, bathing, and
heating. Iceland has been called the "Land of Frost and Fire."
For on every hand these great natural forces are brought into
vivid contrast. The active volcanoes are hooded with glaciers.
Hot springs are abundant. Our word "geyser" is no more than
the Icelandic name for their most famous steam-fountain.
We were hardly back in the city when word was passed that
an exhibition of Icelandic wrestling was to be held for the Nor-
wegian tourists, and that we were invited to attend. This form
of wrestling, characteristically Icelandic, resembles faintly the
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
113
Waterfall, Iceland
Where female criminals were drowned .
Lake on Thingvalla Plain
The Plain contains several beautiful lakes and is intersected by many clefts in the
lava.
114 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Japanese "jiu-jitsu" and is called "glima." Each wrestler wears
a harness around the body, and the object is to lift the opponent,
trip him, and drop him to the floor. When any part of the body
touches the boards, the referee declares the winner.
But there was still time to go to one of the two splendid moving-
picture theatres. Some of the party declare to this day that
they have never been in more luxurious theaters. The films are
chiefly imported from America along with automobiles and many
other articles in common use.
Busy days followed our spree on Sunday. Jones inspected the
local broadcasting-station; the magnetic and atmospheric-electric
instruments were set up on Engey Island, and the Carnegie was
anchored out in the harbor as near to them as possible. These
intercomparisons had been delayed by the strong gales of the
past days. Paul and Parkinson were stationed on the island, and
spent several nerve-racking hours dodging the sea-gulls which
swooped down on their heads. For they were disturbing the
breeding-grounds. Infant gulls scrambled helplessly around the
hummocks of grass, but should we pick one up we were sure to
be attacked by the screeching mother, circling constantly over-
head.
It was not enough to take possession of Monsieur Simon's house
for dancing in the evenings. He must arrange a full-course
dinner in our honor. Charming young ladies were there in their
New York or Parisian gowns ; the dinner itself was a masterpiece of
the chef's art, and gaiety was unrestrained. During the dinner.
Monsieur Simon had us inscribe our names on a post-card, which
he forwarded to our mutual friend, the late Edwin E. Slosson,
Director of Science Service in Washington. Before long our
numbers were swelled by the officers of the Fylla, who had brought
from their ship some bottles of Danish beer. Since it did not
grow dark, it occurred to no one that there might be such a thing
as a proper time for going home !
On the following day Seiwell and Paul made a collecting trip
for the Smithsonian Institution. They chartered a small launch,
and, armed with an impressive special hunting permit, brought
back a large number of the characteristic sea-birds of the island.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 1 15
The eider-duck is sacred in Iceland. The delicate feathers which
line their nests form one of the leading exports, and nothing must
disturb the birds. Although we probably had a sufficient excuse
for killing a few specimens, we thought it wiser to leave the eider
alone.
On this same trip the diatom collecting-bucket was tried out,
but the specimens were unsatisfactory because we had not located
a suitable bottom-area for dredging.
On the day before leaving port several members of our party
were invited to lunch in the ward-room of the cruiser. This
group of Danish officers will forever typify to us the hearty,
merry life led by naval officers in works of fiction. There were
songs and good-natured banter, toasts and speeches — all at an
ordinary noon-day meal. They presented us with a beautiful
photograph of the Fylla, which was hanging in the cabin when
the Carnegie was destroyed in Apia.
The time had come for us to reciprocate all these attentions,
so a dance was arranged in the cabin. The best music we could
furnish was from our phonograph; but with the dining-table re-
moved we could offer an excellent dance-floor. The Danish
officers joined in, of course, and a "good time was had by all."
We were not ashamed to make the most of our evenings in Reyk-
javik. The next two months were to be spent out of sight of
land, in routine that knew no Sundays and no labor laws. And
none of us had imagined that we should find here as congenial
companionship as we found in any port during the cruise.
At noon on July 27 we said our farewells and pushed off, using
the engine until clear of the coast. Another propitious start —
we picked up a favorable breeze that bowled us along toward
Cape Farewell, Greenland. The wind was so strong that we had
wire-angles of 50° at our first oceanographic station, July 28.
There was too great danger of fouling the wires should we use the
new plankton-pump, so neither this nor the bottom-sampling
was attempted.
On July 30 conditions were ideal, and for the first time in the
cruise we made use of our plankton-pump. Water-samples and
temperatures were obtained clear to the bottom (at 3500 meters).
116
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
a specimen of bottom-deposit was secured, and the silk tow-net
collected plankton at three depths. The Petterssen pump is used
to count the relative numbers of each kind of plankton collected
by the nets, so it was sent down to the same depths.
On the next day we lost our favorable breeze and were forced
to operate the engine. Fog and drizzling rain added to the dis-
IcEBERG Passed Off Coast of Newfoundland
As it was drifting into the steamship-lanes a radio report was forwarded to the Hydro-
graphic Office in Washington to warn shipmasters; bergs seldom come this far south in
August and are quickly melted in the Gulf Stream.
comfort. On August 1 we made less than sixty miles, and were
carried south of our course. But on the 3d a fine northeast breeze
picked us up and swept us past Cape Farewell. We covered 233
miles that day with a fifteen-mile current against us.
Since we were some ten days behind schedule, Captain Ault
decided to omit the proposed loop into Baffin Bay, and to head
directly for the Grand Banks. On the 4th, Captain Ault was
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 117
confined to bed with a severe cold. It was the first time in his
hfe at sea that he had taken cold on shipboard. As none of the
others had suffered from it in Iceland, or in the eight days after
leaving, it was interesting to speculate on the source of the in-
fection. We were to be pestered with this common complaint
in many ports, but on only a few occasions while at sea.
An unexpected stir was created at sunset on the 5th, when a
giant iceberg was sighted off our port bow. We changed course
to determine its size and position, so that the trans-Atlantic
shipping might be notified. It was very late in the season to
encounter a berg, especially so far south, and the ice-patrol had
already left its post. We sailed within a few hundred feet, meas-
ured its length and altitude, and sent the necessary information
by radio to the Hydrographic Office in Washington. It was over
a hundred feet high and four hundred feet long. Those who had
never seen an iceberg were thrilled with pleasure, but to those
who have navigated the Southern Ocean an iceberg is nevei*
beautiful. Once it drifts into the warm waters of the Gulf Stream
it will not last long.
We crossed the Banks of Newfoundland on the 6th, and hove-
to for an oceanographic station on the following morning. We
were on the southern shelf, and there was a depth of only 130
meters below us. At 50 meters the water was 3° Fahrenheit
below the freezing-point of pure water, while it was 23° warmer
at the surface.
This station was interesting for another reason. All around
us we could see whales spouting. Over in the east was a school
which must have numbered over twenty. In Barbados we were
to learn that whalers had pursued these same animals and had
made the greatest killing of the century.
On August 8 we stepped suddenly from winter into summer.
Within a few hours the water-temperature jumped 20° Fahrenheit,
with the air following suit. The stove in the cabin was dismantled,
woolen caps and underclothes were discarded, and we went about
the deck squinting in the brilliant sunlight. We were in the Gulf
Stream, and out of the cold Labrador Current.
For two weeks we logged an average of 140 miles a day, with
118
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Paul at the Evaporimeter
The evaporation of sea-water is enormous, thus at the equator it appears to be about
seven and one-half feet per year — facts concerning evaporation are essential to an under-
standing of many problems in the field of meteorology.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 1 19
ideal weather for our work. Only one gale threatened us during
this time, but it was so short a blow that the sea had no time to
become rough. Little by little we expanded our program of
studies. As each man developed his technique he found himself
able to undertake new details. Parkinson and Torreson started
weekly diurnal-variation observations in atmospheric electricity.
This required continuous readings of the instruments for 24-hour
runs. The fine weather simplified the navigation work, and Scott
found time to take over Captain Ault's place at the collimating-
compass, while Paul or Jones replaced Scott as recorder. The
number of echo-soundings was increased, since Soule was now able
to complete in one day the determination of the salinity of the
water-samples. Paul began a series of evaporation measurements.
All along the line there was a notable improvement in the scien-
tific work.
On August 12 we took water samples and temperatures to a
depth of 5600 meters, or about three and a half miles. There
was a hot bearing on the winch, due to the great weight of the
wire and bottles, and we were hove-to for almost five hours. It
was apparent that a different type of bearing must be installed
at our next dry-docking. The plankton-pump was up to its usual
bag of tricks, and required encouragement from time to time.
However, it seldom failed if given a second chance.
On the same day we entered the Sargasso Sea. F'or about a
week the vessel passed through patches of the characteristic
weed of the region. Paul made daily weed-counts, and collected
specimens. Many of these clumps sheltered small fish, crusta-
ceans, and egg-clusters; so the boom-walk was lowered from the
side of the ship to make collection easier. Any romantic ideas
of ours, about the Sargasso Sea, were dispelled. We saw very
few floating logs, and not a single derelict, although we passed
through the very heart of the region. The weed was at no time
very thick, and was usually a few feet below the surface. Fanci-
ful yarns are told of sailing-vessels trapped here by immense
accumulations of debris.
By the 20th we had entered a region of sudden squalls and elec-
trical storms. The sea became choppy, due to the variable winds.
120
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Nothing can be more exhilarating than to race before one of these
short wind-squalls on a small sailing-vessel like the Carnegie.
Promptly at two o'clock in the afternoon, for several days in a
row, we would feel the ship slowly heel over beneath our feet,
and hear the low droning hum of the breeze in the rigging rise
The Biologist Using a Dip-net fuom the "Boom-walk"
The boom-walk consists of two 30-foot booms with a net between and enables the
observer to collect specimens beyond the disturbance caused by the ship's wash.
in a steady crescendo, higher and higher in pitch as the vessel
gathered momentum, until the jibs quivered and flapped as the
helmsman eased off a bit. During the next two weeks we used
these squalls to best advantage, for once they passed over we
would be left floundering around in a calm.
It had been growing steadily warmer, and Soule had to regulate
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 121
the salinity-apparatus to a 104° temperature, for there was no
cooling device. These were glorious days for the cats on board.
Flying-fish were skimming the water in every direction. At
night they would be attracted to the lights and strike the ship,
sometimes falling on deck. A cat was usually the first on the
scene when this occurred, and so we would be deprived of the
specimen. We had been asked to collect these fish for Mr.
Breder of the New York Aquarium, for he was interested in the
geographical distribution of the different species. Mr. Kellogg,
research associate of the Carnegie Institution, had supplied us
with harpoons for collecting porpoises, but we never had occasion
to use them. He was making a study of the evolution (or de-
volution!) of the whale-family, and was anxious to complete his
collection.
There were two questions that furnished lively arguments on
board and were never settled: Does a flying-fish fly.'^ Do sharks
attack human beings.^ The discussions became so heated at
times that it was well some routine duty separated us before
belay ing-pins began to fly. In the beautiful evenings on deck
everything was close-harmony again. Torreson led the singing
of the old-time moonlight favorites; and invariably began and
ended with his musical signature, "Among my Souvenirs."
The last week in August was spent in glassy calms. The
timbers groaned, and the sails flapped till the reef-points were in
shreds. One looked over a sea like lubricating oil, reflecting all
the pastel shades when the sun was on the horizon. The engine
was operated almost continuously. This made evaporation-
observations impossible, and increased the difficulties in other
work, because of the constant vibration of the instruments.
Always a squall was greeted with cheers. These calms were
aggravating for another reason. We were not allowed to jump
overboard for a swim, no matter how hot or cloudless the day.
The rule seemed very unreasonable at times; but no doubt the
Captain had good reasons. On one of the previous cruises there
had been a close accident of some kind, and this time no chances
were to be taken.
We were in the doldrums, there was no doubt about that.
122
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Any attempt to get further south seemed hopeless. For ten days
we had averaged less than sixty miles, and on no day had we
made as much as a hundred. Accordingly, Captain Ault gave
orders to head westward toward Barbados, thereby omitting the
proposed loop to the mouth of the Amazon.
The scientific routine was progressing favorably. We had
occasional difficulties with equipment. The piano-wire had a
habit of breaking at kinks, and we lost a few snappers from this
cause. It was not always certain when bottom was struck, and
sometimes many meters of wire coiled up in kinks on the ocean-
The Forecastle CJaxg
On a Sunday afternoon.
floor. We really needed a separate machine, with an automatic
stop for the sounding work. Parkinson found that his electrom-
eter-fibres were scaling and he had to radio for a new supply to
be delivered in Barbados. From time to time messengers sent
down to reverse the Nansen bottles were intercepted by some
marine organism. But on the whole our duties were discharged
more smoothly every day, and we could relax for a few hours
after supper. An occasional game of cards, or a motion-picture
of our own make, followed the meal. And there were those who
found pleasure in stretching out on the cover of a whale-boat to
watch for shooting-stars or gaze at the moon.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 123
On Sundays the sailors would sit on deck, busy with their
skrimshandy, or would collect in the chart-room to play the
phonograph. Juan Oyarzo was very clever with string, and made
us belts and watch-fobs in his spare time below. Others would
make ship models or amuse themselves with a mouth-organ, or
wash clothes. But for the "scientifics," as the sailors called us,
there was no difference between Sunday and the next day. Oceano-
graphic and magnetic stations alternated regularly. Every day-
light hour was spent in the laboratories or computing-room, and
even the nights brought their rounds of routine: radio schedules,
echo-soundings, atmospheric-electric observations, meteorologi-
cal work, star-sights.
Mr. Erickson was always ready with an excuse for our bad
luck. If it was not the biologist's "plus fours," it was something
else. He now accused certain members of the party for the long-
continued calms because of the grotesque beards they were culti-
vating. Soule easily carried away the honors for his baboon
decoration. He was dubbed "Admiral Benbow," for had not
this intrepid seaman swept clear the Caribbean.^ Who knows,
though, but that the jibes of the others were prompted by envy?
The oceanographic station of September 3 was exceedingly
interesting. We had occupied a station within fifteen miles of
this spot only five days before, but changes had occurred in that
short time. The temperature at the '200-meter depth had dropped
about 6° Fahrenheit, and the salinity had followed suit. The
current had trebled during the same interval. We realized as
never before how important it is to make repeated observations
in the same spot, preferably throughout the year, if we want a
complete picture of conditions in the sea.
After four days of head-winds, the long-awaited northeast
trades began to blow. This was a welcome event, for we were
still twelve hundred miles from Barbados, and our supplies of
gasoline and water were getting low. On the same day the sailors
captured some bonitos, giving us a change from the monotonous
diet of tinned meat.
Unfortunately our hoped-for trade-wind disappointed us, and
we were left becalmed in the afternoon, with an occasional water-
124
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
spout on the horizon. The fact that we were non-magnetic must
have had some bearing on their behavior. Although we saw a good
many of these "terrors of the deep," they acted as though we did
not exist. They did not bear down on us as they do in books,
but headed away from us as often as they approached. We did
not even keep our guns loaded!
Light airs, squalls, and calms alternated for another week be-
fore we picked up a stiff breeze. This happened on September
10. It came with fury from a totally unexpected quarter, south-
An Oily Calm in the Trade-wind Belt
west. Rapid changes in direction and increasing force hinted
that there was trouble in the neighborhood. This rather took
us by surprise, although we had known from the start that we
were entering the Caribbean during hurricane-season. The short
disturbance was no doubt the beginning of that frightful hurricane
which three days later roared through the Mona Passage, de-
molished many of the West Indian towns, and razed buildings in
Florida. The wind did not reach violent force until it had passed
over the Windward Islands, and our barograph did not show any
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 1 25
marked departure from the usual curve; but all the same it was a
close call for us.
A night or two later a steamer passed us. This had been our
first sight of human life for seven weeks, with the exception of
some distant lights on a ship near the Grand Banks. We rigged
up a signal-light on deck and attempted to communicate. Un-
fortunately, we spent so long in figuring out what language they
were using that the vessel was out of sight when we wanted to
say something. The best guess had it that she was a Portuguese
ship bound for Brazil. This incident emphasizes the advantage
of having some universal language outside of the marine code.
However, we had no reason to complain. Jones kept us in
constant communication with shore through amateur radio fans.
Messages were exchanged with families and friends almost daily,
and if any item of real interest was picked up from news-broad-
casts, it was posted on the chart-room wall. The absurdity of
what is commonly regarded as front-page news in American cities
is never so apparent as on a ship like ours. For a time, Jones
copied out broadcasts from the most distinguished New York
papers: a murder in Cicero; a divorce in Hollywood; a sharp drop
in utility-stocks ; a blackmail letter to scion of wealthy New Jersey
family; another murder somewhere — this was the fare we were
offered from shore. We laughed so heartily at the incongruity
of all this and our placid existence, that Jones became discouraged
and very properly ceased to take it down.
By this time our procedure at an oceanographic station had
become somewhat standardized, and it might be of interest to
describe just what takes place. On the morning of September
15, we are about two hundred miles from Barbados. At eight
bells the new watch comes on deck and finds everything in readi-
ness for heaving to. The winch is uncovered, the wires are threaded
through blocks to the davits, outboard-platforms are in place, and
running-gear is laid out on deck ready for shortening sail. With
the sound of the ship's bell still in our ears, the men dash to the
tackle, blocks rattle and yards creak as the squaresails are taken
in. The lower topsail alone is not furled, and is set aback to
check our headway. Then one after another the fore-and-aft
126
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127
sails come down until only the mainsail and middle staysail re-
main. The ship is now hove-to and comes up into the wind or
falls off alternately with the helm alee.
The oceanographic team consists of four members of the scien-
tific staff (Captain Ault, Soule, Seiwell, and Paul), the Mate
(Erickson), the Engineer (Leyer), and the watch-officer with his
four seamen. Practically all operations take place on the quarter-
deck. Mr. Erickson immediately attaches the bottom-sampler
Paul and Soule Preparing Bottles for the Water-Samples
These are collected in the depths of the sea to be later analyzed in the chemical
laboratory.
to the piano-wire, drops it over the stern, and signals to Leyer
to pay out on the winch. Meanwhile Captain Ault and Soule
are attaching the Nansen bottles, with their reversing-thermom-
eters to the aluminum-bronze wire. As these bottles are
lowered one after the other in a long series, Paul reads the meter-
wheel. When the desired length of wire has been paid out he
signals to Leyer to apply the brake. Another bottle is attached,
more wire is paid out. This goes on till some eight or ten bottles
are strung on at intervals of from five to five hundred meters.
128 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
At this station we are to reach down five thousand meters,
so it will be necessary to repeat the bottle-series twice. The
"short-series" will consist of nine bottles lowered to 5, 25, 50,
75, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 meters respectively, while one bottle
is reversed at the surface. As the greatest difference in tempera-
ture and chemical salts occurs near the surface, the intervals are
fairly short there. But in the "deep-series," which is sent down
later, the bottles are spaced 500 meters apart. The strain on
the wire would be far too great were we to lower twenty bottles
at once.
During this time Seiwell has put out the plankton-nets. These
are lowered in series, much as the bottles; but onlv three are used.
One goes to 100 meters; another to 50 meters; and the third to
the surface. Microscopic life in the sea is chiefly concentrated
near the surface because sunlight does not penetrate water very
far. All animals depend on plants for food, directly or indirectly,
and of course it is sunlight which is utilized as a source of energy
by plants such as diatoms.
Ten minutes are allowed for the lowered Nansen bottles to
take up the temperature of their surroundings. Captain Ault
now drops a brass "messenger" down the wire to reverse the first
bottle in the series. As each bottle tips over, its own messenger
is freed to proceed to the next bottle, and so on down the line.
It takes from ten to forty minutes for the messenger to reach the
lowest bottle. When they are inverted in this way, the valves
automatically imprison a sample of water from the desired depth.
Also, the mercury capillary of the thermometer separates in such
a way that the temperature of that level can be read off on deck,
no matter what temperatures are encountered on the way to the
surface.
It is not possible to raise the bottle-series until the bottom-
sampler has struck. With depths like five thousand meters this
may take an hour. When the signal is given that the piano-wire
is slack, Leyer ceases to pay out, Erickson reads the meter-wheel,
and Captain Ault measures the vertical angle made by the wire.
From these readings the depth can be calculated. Soule has
meanwhile made an echo-sounding to check this value.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 129
The winch then brings up the bottle-series and bottom-snapper
together. The bottles are removed from the wire and placed in
sheltered racks. Paul collects water-samples for chemical analy-
sis, and Soule takes specimens for salinity-determinations. When
this is done, the deep-sea thermometers are read and the Nansen
bottles prepared for their second plunge — this time to greater
depths.
While all this is going on, Seiwell or Paul has put the plankton-
pump into operation. This apparatus is lowered three times,
to levels corresponding to the depth of the tow-nets. A measured
volume of sea-water passes through a fine silk net. The number
of organisms captured, divided by the number of liters of water
pumped, gives the "density of population" at each level. The
plankton-nets are hauled in after an hour or so. The specimens
collected are preserved and labelled for future study.
It now remains to bring up the deep-series and collect the
sediment from the bottom-sampler. This done, the sails are
once more set and we proceed on our way. If everything has
gone well there is still an hour before lunch in which to start the
chemical work. The delicate hydrogen-ion tests are made first,
to avoid the possibility of changes in the samples from contami-
nation by the air or by sunlight. The other chemical charac-
teristics are determined after lunch, along with the salinity.
These mornings are strenuous. There are many operations
going on at once. Wires lead in all directions from the winch.
The sun glares on the water, making it necessary to wear dark-
glasses. And only careful co-ordination saves us from utter
confusion. Each man has his appointed tasks, but is always
ready to lend a hand should things go wrong for the other fellow.
And it was a rare day when something did not go awry. Wires
might foul below the ship. Messengers might fail to reverse the
bottles; or a "jellyfish" get in the way. The piano-wire might
snap, or the plankton-pump fail to operate. Anything might
happen, without warning, to upset the regular order.
On the afternoon of September 16 we sighted Barbados, our
first land in fifty-two days. Our premonitions on leaving Iceland
had not been borne out, for we had been much too busy to get
130
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The Carnegie at Anchor in Carlisle Bay, Barbados
Bridgetown is a thriving port with frequent contacts with North and South America
and with shipping services to all of the ^Yest Indian islands.
Native Coin-divers
Alongside the Carnegie in Carlisle Bay, Barbados.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 131
lonesome, and time had flown. But how good a piece of beef-
steak w^ould taste! We beat up and down outside the city of
Bridgetown all night, awaiting dawn and the pilot. By eight
o'clock we were riding at anchor opposite the Yacht and Aquatic
Clubs in Carlisle Bay, with a swarm of native coin-divers around
us, and bum-boats nosing their way through the canoes to our
ladder.
With the arrival of our mail hopeless indecision seized us.
Would we rather stretch our legs on the coral roads for a change,
or busy ourselves in the great heaps of letters that had been ac-
cumulating here for months.^ It took almost a day merely to
sort out this mass of letters, magazines, and newspapers. The
invitation could not be refused of fresh food and fruit waiting
for us ashore, and most of the men scrambled into the boats to
spend a few hours on land. We were at once ofi'ered guest-mem-
berships in the numerous Bridgetown social and athletic clubs,
whose privileges we enjoyed to the utmost during the following
two weeks. Among these were the Bridgetown Club, Yacht-
Club, Savannah Club, and Aquatic Club. They offered splendid
places to dine, dance, play tennis, or swim; and all the other
facilities for diversion ashore. We were given a hearty wel-
come wherever we turned.
Barbados offered a sharp contrast to Iceland, our last island.
There we had found a population which was purely Nordic. In
fact, more than ninety-nine percent were of Icelandic stock.
But here we found one white man to eleven negroes! Barbados
was to be our only "black" island; for the Polynesians we met in
the Pacific are more similar to the white race than to the negro.
It was always interesting to wander up and down the coral-
paved lanes with their pastel-tinted walls, listening to the soft
voices of these light-hearted natives. Gigantic negresses,
balancing their fantastic wares on their heads, mingle their musi-
cal street cries with the braying of the donkeys. One had diffi-
culty in deciding whether it is the donkeys or the women who are
the island's beasts-of -burden. Should one be thirsty, there is
always a walking "soda-fountain" nearby. For some of these
negresses carry great tanks on their heads, full of a native drink
132
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
called "gavy." Without lowering the heavy load from its pre-
carious perch, they deftly fill a cup from the spigot projecting
over the forehead.
A Barbadian Negress
Carries enormous loads on her head — this one is selling hot baked yams.
Others sell limes or oranges, stacked high on trays — always
carried on the head, of course. Should you wander into a main
thoroughfare you will see an incongruous mixture of donkey-carts
and shiny automobiles, antediluvian hacks and bicycles. Oh,
yes! There is traffic congestion — even in Bridgetown. But not
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
133
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till one reaches the careenage is one convinced that this is a bus-
tling, industrious seaport. Into this inner harbor are crowded an
unbelievable number of schooners, barges, motor-tugs, and bum-
boats. Arriving as we did in the hurricane-season, the congestion
was at its worst; for it then takes courage to push off shore in
these dinky trading-schooners.
The first few days were spent chiefly on board preparing the
enormous mass of scientific records for forwarding to Washington.
Captain Ault paid his official calls and made the necessary ar-
rangements for occupying the magnetic station ashore. Then
followed a flood of invitations from the local British community —
tennis-matches, teas, dinners, bridge parties, dances. It was
certain that our evenings would be well filled.
Scott was swamped by the official mail that required answer-
ing. He helped Captain Ault with his correspondence to head-
quarters, in addition to his usual business with the ship's com-
missary and pay disbursements. But one amusing complaint
from the Chief Clerk in Washington served to add a touch of
humor to the whole business. On leaving Reykjavik we had paid
a large laundry bill itemized in Icelandic. There had been no
time to have a translation made before sailing, so it was forwarded
as it stood to headquarters. What was the dismay of the auditors
when they came to check up on this incomprehensible bill!
Our work aboard was interrupted by a brisk trade in souvenirs.
Natives would come alongside in their row-boats and offer shark-
bone canes, bleached coral, beads, fans, and so on, in exchange
for old shoes or new shillings. There were also native tailors.
Prices seemed absurdly low, until we saw the long-promised suit
or trousers — delivered on board by proxy the minute before sail-
ing. And there were shoemakers (or so they styled themselves) .
But they were not so lucky as the tailors, who had come along at
the right psychological moment. We had just arrived from a
cold climate, and faced a solid year in the tropics. Everyone had
postponed the purchase of hot-weather clothes, and so we fell
easy game to the first outfitters that came along.
One day Governor and Lady Robertson very kindly asked us
to tea at the Government House, and invited us to use their
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
135
Capi'aix axu Mks. Phillips Visit the Ship in Barbados
Captain Phillips was Adjutant to the Governor.
The Tents Pitched for Magnetic Shore-station
Near the "Transit-of- Venus" pier at Barbados.
136 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
beautiful tennis-courts. Some games were arranged a few days
later; but we were no match for the practised players of Barbados.
Ample opportunity for dancing was found. The party was
invited to a semi-formal affair at the Yacht-Club. There were
occasional dances at the Marine Hotel in Bridgetown, and at
Crane Beach. Besides this, there was a splendid floor on the
Aquatic Club pier, and music was supplied every evening.
Early in our stay the party was conducted through the interest-
ing coral caves on Dr. Manning's estate. His beautiful grounds
include a superb sunken garden. A tea followed the walk, and
we made the aquaintance of an old parrot, apparently very
much at home in the world.
By the end of the first week we found ourselves free to leave
the ship and to undertake the scientific shore work. A tent was
set up for the magnetic station near the "Transit of Venus"
monument; and another on the polo-field for the atmospheric-
electric comparisons. The local residents responded generously
to any request for assistance in connection with this work. Park-
inson and Torreson carried on the electric observations, while
Jones and Paul helped them out at the magnetic station on the
hill. Seiwell had returned to the United States on leave of ab-
sence. He was to rejoin us at Panama, leaving Paul temporarily
in charge of the biological and chemical work.
While the members of the shore-party were engaged in the
magnetic observations on "Venus Hill" they usually took their
meals at one of the nearby hotels. The routine was so arranged
that a twenty -minute interval between two readings of the in-
struments would allow the observers time to rush down the hill
for a bite of food. One morning, when we were seated breathless
in the dining-room, the head- waiter approached one of the men
and said quietly: "I'm sorry, sir. But have you not forgotten
your jacket? We must not permit dining without a jacket, sir."
The answer was simply: "But I have no jacket."
The head-waiter was adamant, and our discomfited colleague
left the room. As he made his way to the door, someone heard
a remark from one of the hotel-guests: "Isn't that just like an
American?" This turned an unpleasant incident into a grand
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
137
joke, for the victim happened to be the only non-American in our
party ! He, of all of us, was the most meticulous in his dress, and
had absent-mindedly bolted away from the tent on the hill without
his coat, and there was no time to return for it.
Another stir was created one evening in the same dining-room.
A real earthquake — the first appreciable shock in the memory of
the inhabitants. Pictures on the walls swung slowly from side to
side like pendulums. Pillars supporting the upper stories creaked
Captain Ault Using the Diving-helmet
Trying to locate an anchor which was lost in Potomac River.
and everyone gazed at everyone else in blank amazement. It
was so unexpected that the disturbance was over before there was
time for panic. No damage was done to the hotel, and everyone
remained seated. Human speech had been stilled for several
minutes, and it was interesting to note the subdued tone of voice
in which the broken threads of conversation were picked up at
the tables around us.
In Barbados we found ideal conditions for trying out our diving-
helmet, and we made two expeditions to the reefs. For several
of the men it was an entirely new experience. Only a poet could
138 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
imagine the beauty and romance to be found under the waters
of a coral reef. And certainly only a poet could describe what
we saw in this fairyland of color and form. The dinghy is an-
chored at the selected spot, preferably in 15 to 30 feet of water,
and the observer climbs over the side with a heavy copper helmet
resting on his shoulders. A hose connected to a hand-pump in
the boat keeps him comfortably supplied with air, and he can
wander about at will on the bottom.
One is in a new universe. Everything has a soft, ethereal
outline except for the fishes that come to within an inch of the
observers' nose to gaze at him in wonder through the plate-glass
window. They are the most brilliantly colored of living creatures.
One's sense of perspective seems to have been lost. Put out your
hand to brace yourself on a coral head, and you find it far out of
reach. Walking itself seems ridiculous; for in the water one's
buoyancy is so great that the slightest spring upwards on the
toes takes one off the bottom for a slow easy flight through space.
Gravity has ceased to exist. Captain Ault described what he
saw in a letter from which the following words are taken:
"... schools of marvellously colored fish. . . forests of
submarine trees waving in the water-surges. . . baskets
of shell. . . jewel-cases of coral growth. . . grottoes of
blue and sapphire. . . trees of growing coral with
jewel tips. . . bristling, black-spined sea-urchins. . . a
basket made of cocoanut-palm leaves gathered together
at the top, perhaps full of treasure left by pirates. . . a
wonder-world not reproduced elsewhere, not even in an
aquarium."
Specimens were collected by the observers. A long screw-
driver and a heavy brass bucket were lowered on a rope, and on
a signal from below the material was hauled up to the dinghy.
Although the coral sand did not promise to be very rich in dia-
toms, we secured several bottles full for forwarding to Washington.
On Sundays and during the evenings we had time to make
excursions into the country by train or auto. The northern end
of the island is volcanic and offers quite a contrast to the region
around Bridgetown. A dinky little passenger-train pulls one
NARRATIVE OF THE ( RL ISE
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through the wide sugar-cane fields to this rugged coast, where
there is a considerable expanse of sandy desert (not coral sand)
in which several varieties of cactus flourish.
The most delightful jaunt we made was to Crane Beach, some
fifteen miles from town, where some of us saw our first character-
istic "South Sea" landscapes — coconut-palms, coral caves, pound-
ing surf, and all the rest. Truly a magnificent spot to loaf and
swim.
By October 1, we had completed our work aboard and ashore.
The hours of relaxation in the hospitable homes of our new friends
had been well spent, and we were in fine spirits for the short run
to the Canal. Sailing was delayed several hours, while Captain
Ault and the local police searched the town for two seamen who
had failed to report. They had found Barbados rum too strong
for them.
We passed the stately peaks of St. Lucia, and sailed along the
beautiful coast of Martinique. Captain Ault greeted ferocious
Mt. Pelee as an old friend. A severe magnetic storm had fol-
lowed the terrific eruption of 1902, in which the town of St. Pierre
had been buried with all its inhabitants. One of his first assign-
ments in Washington had been the scaling of magnetic records
from all parts of the world in connection with this disturbance.
The long green slopes of this volcano were clearly visible during
the greater part of the day, but only for a short moment did
the diadem of clouds lift from the cone itself. Captain Ault
insisted that it was only to allow Pelee to show her teeth! The
rest of us preferred to interpret the sign as a friendly salute.
For was not Martinique a picture of serene beauty — inviting
the stranger to tarry awhile in its sleepy villages?
On the voyage to Panama we were favored with strong trade-
winds, interrupted almost every afternoon by sudden electrical
storms and heavy rain-squalls. In fact on October 3 we en-
countered a short blow that almost reached destructive force.
Such violent thunder and lightning storms are not common at
sea, and were no doubt due in this case to our proximity to the
large islands northward.
On the 5th we suffered the first catastrophe of the cruise. We
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
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were hove-to for the oceanographic station. Eleven Nansen
bottles, twenty-two thermometers, a bottom-sampler, and 4000
meters of wire, were suddenly snatched away from us through
the parting of the aluminum-bronze wire. For a fraction of a
second the attention of the observer had been distracted from the
incoming bottles, and one of them jammed into the meter-wheel.
There was an agonized shout from Captain Ault, then sudden
silence. No one had been injured, and there was nothing to
do about it, but for several seconds everyone stood in a daze.
This was an appalling loss of equipment, but by using the
reserve bottles twice at each station, and employing spare
thermometers, we managed to carry on until replacements were
made from Norway. It was well that we had taken aboard an
extra spool of bronze wire in Hamburg!
Approaching Colon we passed through great wind-rows of
seaweed, teeming with animal life. It was impossible to tow a
silk-net, so great was the accumulation of weed. But we dipped
up many curious creatures — pipe-fish, sea-snakes, porcupine-fish,
and many others. These spiny porcupine-fish caused great amus-
ment on board. Placed in a bucket of water where they are al-
most invisible, they swim about on the bottom like brown domi-
noes tapered off astern. But tease them with a pencil and they
puff up into absurd white globes completely covered with spines,
and float on the surface upside down in utter helplessness. One
must search carefully to distinguish where the head and tail are
located, so perfectly do they perform their trick.
The wind failed us just outside Colon, and we were forced to
use the engine. This spot is one of the Carnegie's most evil mem-
ories. It was here that in 1915 she had battled a sixty -mile wind
with her anchors dragging.
We were riding outside Cristobal at daybreak on October 11,
having made the 1360-mile passage in less than ten days. A few
of the party spent an hour or two ashore while a tug was engaged
to take us through the Canal. It goes without saying that those
who had never before crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
made the most of it. Cameras snapped from every corner of the
deck, and from the rigging. Everyone was impressed by the
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 143
smoothness with which vessels are handled in the locks. The
little electric mules gave us a few kicks now and then to keep us
in line, but otherwise we came through in great style.
While passing the bird sanctuary in Gatun Lake, someone had
the bright idea that this might be the only chance on our cruise to
have a fresh-water shower-bath on deck. The response was
instantaneous. What a glorious sensation to feel real lather on
one's skin again! We were so preoccupied with this rare treat
that we were oblivious to the gazing of passengers of passing ships.
They would have forgiven this exhibition if they had realized
the luxury of a real bath on a sailing ship.
By nightfall we had nosed our way to a berth beside a sub-
marine at the Balboa docks. We had thus concluded the North
Atlantic portion of our cruise. Everyone was gratified with the
progress we had been making in the scientific work. Even the
members of the party themselves sometimes wondered how eight
men could keep so many irons hot. Work had yielded interesting
and useful results in magnetism, electricity, meteorology, phys-
ical and chemical oceanography, biology, and in a multitude of
minor studies. As we stepped ashore in Balboa we were paid a
flattering compliment by the Captain of the Port, who said that
in his opinion the Carnegie has contributed more to science than
all the front-page expeditions put together that have passed
through the Canal.
PANAMA TO EASTER ISLAND TO CALLAO
We were at once extended every courtesy by the officials of the
Canal Zone. The splendid facilities of the great commissary-
stores were made available to us. We were invited to make our-
selves at home in the Balboa Community House, as well as in the
several social clubs in Panama City — the Union, Century, and
Miramar clubs. The Gorgas Hospital staff made arrangements
for operating on one of our seamen. Wherever we turned we
found willing hands to aid. The Carnegie was no stranger here,
it is true; she had already passed through the Canal four times.
The work on board was abnormally heavy in this port. Be-
sides preparing records as usual, we had to pack and ship all the
144
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
plankton- and bottom-samples so far collected. Many instru-
ments were replaced by new ones sent down from Washington.
Others, like the electric recording-psychrometer, needed extensive
repairs. Besides this we received here apparatus for the scientific
studies which we were now adding to our already full program.
The United States Navy had loaned us complete equipment for
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Tablets in Panama City Relating the History of the Building of the Panama
Canal
They show tliat it was more a triumph of preventive medicine than of engineering.
making pilot-balloon observations of air-currents in the upper
atmosphere. This equipment included a specially designed
theodolite (for measuring horizontal and vertical angles in noting
the courses of the balloons as they rise from the deck), hydrogen
tanks, balloons, inflation-balance, and computing-forms.
Captain Ault and Scott were kept very busy reprovisioning the
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
145
Tower of Old Panama
About all that remained after Henry Morgan sacked the city in the seventeeth century.
146 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
vessel for the coming six months, and supervising repairs while
we were in dry-dock. Besides this several changes in the crew
were made here; two seamen and the mechanic were signed off,
and a third seaman deserted. To replace these four men, Sudron
was engaged as mechanic; the two mess-boys were promoted to
seamen; and Kidd was signed on as seaman. He had recently
arrived from the training-ship Nantucket, which we had met in
the English Channel. Two sons of a Canal Zone employee were
taken on as the new mess-boys.
The "desertion" of the seaman, Nass, was somewhat mys-
tifying. It was not Captain Ault's custom to keep any man
on board against his will, and this man would, no doubt, have
been signed off in the usual way had he asked to be relieved. He
left behind him a tidy sum of money in accumulated wages. On
our arrival in San Francisco we heard that he had shipped on a
freighter to Honolulu, become a seaman on the schooner Vigilant
bound for Gray's Harbor, and was at that time in a hospital in
Aberdeen following a serious accident. He had been arrested in
Panama on some trifling charge, and was on his way to the police
station; the "black maria" got into a smash-up and unfortunately
his leg was broken — thus an overnight stop in the local jail had
turned into a long sentence to a hospital.
In Balboa we were initiated into the heat of the tropics. Merely
typing a letter sent streams of perspiration down one's back.
But the cloudbursts which swept down from the mountains
every afternoon seemed to clear the sky for a time of its op-
pressiveness. The hour after dawn and the hour after sunset
were delightful. Tennis and swimming were our only outdoor
recreations, and at our front door there were wonderful facilities
for both. The Balboa Club is famous for its "Red, White, and
Blue" juvenile swimming-troupe, whose home-pool we had the
privilege of using.
The heat was so intense that we were not able to live on the
ship while she was in dry-dock, shut off from every trace of breeze.
So the party took quarters at the Grand Central Hotel in Panama
City. The change of surroundings had a fine effect on everyone,
and soon we were anticipating rather than dreading the eighty-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 147
day passage to Peru. The hotel was an admirable base from
which to take short sight-seeing walks in the evenings, and it
was convenient to the clubs and theatres. The berth in Balboa
had been too remotely situated from Panama City.
The principal work done in dry-dock was repairing the copper
sheathing, installing new bearings on the winch, changing the fore-
mast supports, and painting all deck-houses and quarters. We
had as our dock-mate the submarine S-16, and several of the
party had a splendid opportunity for inspecting this fascinating
vessel.
Our evening ambles about the city led us to many interesting
places. We visited the ruins of Old Panama, the unfortunate
city that was sacked by Henry Morgan's buccaneers. We also
saw the famous golden altar, saved during these raids by being
taken to sea. It was later cleverly disguised with whitewash,
and hidden in the wall of a church. Here and there about Panama
City we saw small groups of San Bias Indians squatting on the
street-corners, or window-shopping like ourselves. None of the
party took any extended trips from Balboa. Soule crossed the
Canal Zone to Coco Solo by train and bus, in a search for new
cable for the multithermograph. The "working" of the rigging,
and corrosion, had broken the circuit running to the masthead.
It was desirable to install an entirely new length of conductor
rather than make temporary repairs. But he was not successful,
and we were forced to carry on until some cable could be ordered
from Washington.
Captain Ault and Paul made a Sunday excursion to Taboga
Island as guests of the Yale boys on their round-the-world schooner.
Chance. This little vessel had once been engaged under Iselin of
Harvard in oceanographic work in the North Atlantic. These
boys, recently graduated from college, had bought her and were
making a romantic journey through the South Pacific. Bad
luck pursued them from the start. They were caught by the
terrible hurricane in September, and managed to crawl for safety
into a harbor on Haiti. When they arrived in Panama, their
"skipper" was taken ill and had already been laid up for six weeks
at the time of our visit. This party preceded us through the
us
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
South Seas in the following spring, but lost one of its members
through desertion in Tahiti. The charms of the island had been
too great for him. As though they had not been enough at sea,
Captain Ault and Paul spent the day sailing! The Chance, in
the hands of these boys, was the picture of a carefree, careless
life. What a contrast to our lot on the Carnegiel But there was
Malpelo Island Outside the Gulf of Panama
We passed this desolate rock twice in our desperate struggle against head-winds to
enter the Pacific Ocean.
little envy in our minds when we said good-bye to our happy-go-
lucky hosts.
Anchored a few yards from the Chance was the tiny schooner
Svaap which we were to meet again in Pago Pago. The owner
of this two-man sailboat was voyaging in a leisurely manner
through the Pacific, collecting materials for his journalistic writ-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 149
ing. She was literally as small as one of our whale-boats. It
looked as though one of the enormous pelicans might upset her
by landing suddenly on the rail.
A few days later our group accepted an invitation to inspect
the Pedro Miguel locks. All the details of the working of gates,
valves, and chains, of the control-room and the tunnels were
explained. We stood by while liner after liner passed through —
some headed for Europe, some for Australasia. That evening
Captain Ault gave a lecture on our work before the Sojourners'
Club of Balboa.
By the 25th, all was in readiness for our departure. Scott had
replenished the "slop-chest" with cigarettes and singlets, the
steward was supplied with a bulging storeroom, the tanks were
overflowing with fresh water, Seiwell had rejoined the party, and
all repairs were completed. Before we could cast off our lines
we must mail our Christmas cards, although it was only October
25 ! We could expect no mail for almost three months ourselves,
and would find no Post Office for the same length of time.
We picked up a fine sailing beeze and ran 152 miles the first
day. This carried us clear of the dangerous coast. But for the
next ten days we waged our bitterest struggle against head-winds.
The Gulf of Panama is a notorious trap for a westward bound
sailing-ship. Captain xVult describes our fight to get out into the
Pacific :
"For the next two weeks it rained every day and
every night and often in between. The wind blew
steadily from the southwest as if to deny us entrance into
the Pacific, so we made a long tack to the south, gaining
a little westing as the wind changed back and forth, but
not enough to clear the coast of Ecuador. We ran the
engine a few times when the breeze went light, in order
to keep closer to the wind. Then we made a long tack
to the north, hoping we could slip through, but the breeze
again proved stubborn. This tack carried us close to
Malpelo Island, an isolated barren rock, one mile long
and 846 feet high."
Captain Ault gave orders to tack southward once more with
only fore-and-aft sails set, and the engine running continuously.
150 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
We kept on in this way
"until we could no longer spare our gasoline, in an ef-
fort to crowd the southwest wind so hard that we could
slip by without bumping into the coast of Ecuador. We
did not make much westing for three days, and almost
ran over Malpelo Island again."
While the mechanic was on watch in the engine-room a con-
necting rod bearing was allowed to burn out. For two days we
nosed our way southward by sail, until a new bearing was cast
and polished by the Engineer.
"We resumed the struggle. Every hour or so the
Old Man (of the Sea) turned the wind on a little
stronger. Just to tease us he would pull the wind a
little more to the westward at night making believe he
had given up.
"Finally, on November 8, after seven days continuous
battle, when we were too close to the coast of Ecuador for
comfort, and when our gasoline supply was low, con-
sidering the three months ahead before we could re-
plenish it, the wind shifted to the south enabling us to
proceed westward."
This long attack of bad luck gave the sailors a grand opportunity
for expressing their various superstitions. Erickson's explanation
for the delay was finally adopted as probably the correct one —
someone had left port without paying his bills. And when the
men in the forecastle had been exonerated on this charge, the
"scientifics" were accused.
These two weeks were by no means wasted. Rarely had we
been in a more interesting region, from the standpoint of the
oceanographer. Stations had been occupied every other day.
The area was characterized by a low sea-surface salinity. This
was doubtless the result of the torrential rains and the large supply
of fresh water dumped by the rivers into the Gulf of Panama.
At our first station we found the temperature at the surface
81° Fahrenheit, while it was only 61° at the 60-meter depth, and
36° at 3000 meters. The surface-life was rich, just as on the
other side of the canal.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
151
There were two reasons for celebrating October 29. It was
Captain Ault's birthday, and we had gained 15 miles against the
west wind in the past twenty-four hours ! Oscar cooked one of
those elaborate birthday cakes for which he was famous ashore.
By-THE-WI.\D IN' THE SOUTH pACIFIC
No creation of a New York pastry-chef could excel his master-
pieces of decorative icing.
Our second oceanographic station was a dismal failure because
we could not reduce the wire-angles to less than 66°. The com-
bination of strong winds and strong currents kept the bottle-
wire so far from the vertical that the messengers failed to slide
down with sufficient force to reverse the bottles. Nevertheless
152 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
the plankton-collections were made as usual. Conditions were
never so bad that something interesting could not be learned.
And the magnetic observations continued without interruption
in spite of the wretched weather.
During these gloomy days of rain and contrary winds we were
kept constantly in touch with home through the radio. The
"New York Times" had sent us their news broadcast schedules
with the Byrd expedition, and invited us to listen in. Besides
this daily messages were exchanged with our headquarters in
Washington,
On November 3 we had a second look at the forbidding cliffs
of Malpelo Island. This gigantic rock rises sheer upwards from
the bottom of the sea. Soundings of 3,000 meters are obtained
only a few miles offshore. It looks exactly like a great iceberg —
but glistening black — with similar prism-like walls. Landing is
almost impossible. There are no inhabitants, of course, for
nothing grows on the bare rock.
Malpelo was the first Pacific island to be discovered which was
situated out of sight of the coasts of the New World. It is
shown on a map of Peru published by command of the Emperor,
Charles V, in 1530. On this chart it is called "ye mallabry,"
from the Spanish "malabrigo" meaning shelterless. Only one
landing has been recorded. In 1790, a ship in distress collected
some dirty water from the rock pools on the top of the island.
November 3 brought very bad luck indeed, for the sonic depth-
finder failed us. The coils in the oscillator in the keel had appar-
ently become short-circuited. We would be unable to make repairs
until reaching Callao in January. This break-down deprived us
of our best means for charting the ocean-floor, and seriously
handicapped us in the oceanographic work. It was our custom
to measure the depth with the oscillator at the beginning of an
oceanographic station. With the depth thus determined we
would know how many bottles to attach and how far to lower
them. It now was necessary to send down the bottom-sampler
on the piano-wire before the other operations could commence.
The depth charts in this region gave far too little information for
our use.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 153
Our experience on November 8 was a striking example of this.
We were hove-to about 100 miles from the coast of Ecuador.
The chart indicated a depth of 3,300 meters. We had no inten-
tion of obtaining the usual bottom-sample, but wished to get
temperatures and water-samples down to 3,000 meters. When
only half of this length of wire had been paid out, the wire
slacked and we suspected that we had struck bottom. When the
bottles were brought up we found the wire tangled near the lowest
one, confirming our suspicions. To establish definitely this
unexpected discovery, the piano-wire was sent down and globi-
gerina ooze collected at 1,454 meters! We named this new ridge,
discovered quite by accident, "Carnegie Ridge." It rises about
6,000 feet above the general level of the bottom in this neighbor-
hood.
It was obvious that we must devise some method for securing
sonic depths. Soundings with the wire would take too much
valuable time. The hydrophone-outfit was found still in good
shape, and we needed only a suitable "noise-maker." The first
suggestion was to manufacture some bombs, out of the gunpowder
we carried to fire the cannon of the breeches-buoy equipment.
But there was only a small stock of this powder. Paul suggested
a chemical bomb, but there were insufficient materials for this.
Then Captain Ault thought it might be possible to use the shot-
gun shells furnished by Dr. Wetmore of the Smithsonian Insti-
tution. These had been carried for hunting land birds from the
inaccessible ports we should visit.
The problem of making a submarine shot-gun was turned over
to Leyer, the Engineer. Within a few days he constructed a
suitable device for firing the shells under water. A twenty -foot
length of brass pipe was fitted with a shell-holder, which screwed
into one end. This end was submerged and a firing-pin dropped
down the tube. Soule measured with a stop-watch the time-
interval between explosion and arrival of the echo from the
bottom. We compared depths so determined with soundings
by wire and pressure-thermometers, and found that the accuracy
was sufficient to justify soundings two or three times a day until
we reached Callao.
154
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The noise made by this outfit was terrific at times. The tube
was held over the side of the vessel amidships, and when the shell
exploded it sounded from the cabin as though we had suddenly
struck a reef. Occasionally the ship would roll to one side just
as the firing-pin was descending the tube, and the explosion would
occur just at the surface.
The failure of the oscillator became a trifling worry when the
ominous news was spread on board that Oscar the cook was in
One of the Islands of the Galapagos Group
Because of our delay in leaving the Gulf of Panama we were unable to stop at these
fascinating islands.
bed with a steadily rising fever, and with indications that he had
contracted typhoid in Panama. Everyone was inoculated who
had not been previously. This happened two days before the
wind had changed in our favor, and Captain Ault seriously con-
sidered turning back to Panama to repair the oscillator and to
leave the cook in the hospital. Another possibility was to run
in to Guayaquil or to leave the sick man at Galapagos, where he
might have to wait six months or a year for transportation to the
mainland. But it was not Captain Ault's habit to give up a
fight. We kept on pushing our way out of the Gulf until a diag-
nosis of typhoid could be definitely established.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 155
Fortunately, after four days, the cook's temperature dropped
toward normal. By November 11 he was back on duty, and
things did not look so black for us. Courtney Whalen, the former
mess-boy, had acted as cook while Oscar was confined to bed.
It would have been utterly impossible to have on board for weeks
a bedridden patient who required constant nursing, without
crippling our scientific work. Every man's day was so completely
filled with routine duties that with one man laid up and another
acting as nurse, everything would be dislocated.
On November 9 we at last entered the trade-wind belt and
made better progress toward the Galapagos Islands, lying on the
Equator. As we approached, the air and water became increas-
ingly cold. We used woolen blankets at night, and Soule regu-
lated the salinity -bridge to a lower temperature.
Schools of large blackfish performed their antics beside the ship,
as though to tell us we were entering the cold Humboldt Current.
With a long running start these heavy fish would fling themselves
out of the sea to land with a great splash on the surface. Several
good pictures were taken, but the negatives were destroyed at
Apia, along with all our other personal photographs.
This Humboldt Current, like the Gulf Stream, has a profound
effect on the climate of the coasts it bathes. A few years ago
it seemed to "disappear," while Beebe was cruising in this very
region. At least he did not find it where he expected. This
phenomenon changed the climate of the coast of Peru in a remark-
able way. Regions that had been without rain for centuries
received such deluges that markings on ancient "adobe" buildings
were obliterated. It was not our luck to stumble upon such an
upset in the circulation of the Pacific. It is a great pity that such
an interesting discovery as the Arcturus made was not followed
up by careful oceanographic studies; for another opportunity
may never be offered.
In these waters we saw many salps, transparent, jelly-like
organisms showing clearly the transverse markings which identify
them as the "ancestors" of the vertebrates. It was very easy to
dip them up at night when the depth-light was lowered into the
water. One of the most disappointing compromises between
156 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
demands of the magnetic survey and oceanographic investigations
was the omission of night stations for collecting plankton. The
minute creatures show pronounced diurnal vertical migrations,
and only by towing silk-nets repeatedly during the twenty-four
hours can we get an undistorted picture of their distribution.
But our time and our personnel were so limited that all idea of
heaving- to at night was given up. The important studies in the
marine biology of the future will be physiological. There is
little to be gained by identifying new species when we are so poorly
acquainted with those already named.
On November 11 we first sighted the Galapagos Group. It
was cruel to pass these intriguing islands without stopping off,
but the delay in getting clear of the Gulf made that out of the
question. We sailed close to the barren shores on the next day,
but saw no signs of life except the sea-birds. From the view ob-
tained from a passing ship one would never dream that the islands
are a paradise for the biologist. As we rushed by, a fresh trade-
wind filling the sails, we dragged up our belongings to dry in the
warm sun. Mildew had begun to do its work on our clothes and
books, after their long exposure to the wet weather of the Gulf.
On the unlucky 13th, the heavy currents and strong winds
encountered in this vicinity almost took their toll. To start
things wrong the bottom-snapper failed to close. Then followed a
grand mix-up of our wires. The plankton-pump lowered on the
starboard side fouled the bottle-series. So great was the strain on
the bottle- wire that it parted when we tried to reel it in. When
the accident happened there were still four bottles with eight
thermometers out, and we faced a serious loss. There had not
been time, of course, for replacements to arrive after our Caribbean
disaster.
With heavy hearts we brought up the plankton-pump. Then,
lo and behold, our bottles were seen coming up entangled with
it. The men on deck scarcely breathed as they leaned over the
side for a firm grip on the broken bottle-wire before the precious
instruments should make another attempt to get out of our
grasp. By cautious work everything was recovered. Captain
Ault says:
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 157
"We never know what will happen next at an ocean-
station. The piano wire with the bottom-snapper is
used on the davit aft; the smaller aluminum-bronze wire is
operated on the port davit; the plankton-pump is lowered
on the starboard davit; and the silk two-nets are oper-
ated from the forecastle head forward. So we have a
four-ring circus going on all the time."
It was even worse when we had towed the three silk-nets from
the quarter-deck; by placing them forward the difficulties from
fouling were greatly reduced.
Once in the trades, the weather was perfect for pilot-balloon
flights. The new equipment, supplied by the United States Navy,
worked well and observations were made daily. With strong
winds we were able to follow the balloon for only fifteen to twenty
minutes, but sometimes it would be visible for an hour. By
tying two together we could often follow them long after a single
one would have been lost to view. In this way we traced the
direction and force of the wind in the atmosphere up to heights
of from two to six miles.
Three men take part in a balloon flight — usually Captain Ault,
Torreson, and Scott. A pure-rubber balloon is inflated until
it is about three feet in diameter with hydrogen from a tank.
By "weighing" it we are able to calculate its rate of ascension.
The scales operate upside down, of course, for the balloon pulls
the pan upwards. At a signal from Scott, the recorder, the glis-
tening globe is released. At one-minute intervals Torreson reads
the azimuth, or horizontal position of the balloon with respect to
the ship's heading; and Captain Ault checks the altitude by
using an ordinary sextant. It was of course possil)le for Torre-
son to read off both altitude and azimuth from his theodolite; but
the rolling of the ship often caused him to lose track of the object,
while it was still clearly visible to the sextant-observer. By
reading the altitude from the sextant, it was possible for Torreson
to sweep the sky at that level until he had again picked up the
elusive sphere.
As a result of a multitude of observations on wind and weather
conditions at sea, we have today fairly accurate "pilot-charts"
158
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Captain Ault Releasing a Pilot-balloon
These globes ascend at the rate of about 600 feet a minute and are wafted here and
there by the winds they encounter in the upper air.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
159
Captain Ault, Torheson, and Scott Following the Pilot-balloon
From these observations pilot-charts for aviators will some day be prepared.
160 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
of the ocean, for the use of mariners. Now that trans-oceanic
flying is coming to be a serious enterprise and not merely a stunt,
it is highly important that aviators have "pilot-charts" as well.
They must know the direction and velocity of the wind at many
levels, if they are to make succesful flights over the great expanse
of the ocean. This work which we were doing, added to the ob-
servations made by other marine observers, will some day be the
basis for such charts. As we noted in Hamburg, the Germans
are very active in this regard.
On November 14 the wind died down for a time. Captain Ault
gave orders to lower the dinghy, to allow Parkinson and Soule to
photograph the ship under full sail. They succeeded in taking
many striking views of the beautiful vessel, some of which are
reproduced in this book.
A few days later there was excitement on deck. Just before
dawn an intensely brilliant meteor appeared in the northeast,
swept over the sky, stopped ahead of the ship at about 35° altitude,
and faded away. The display lit the decks more brightly than
the full moon had ever done.
The days of fair winds and clear skies were glorious, and we
began to appreciate the beauty of Pacific sunsets. It was of
times like these that a previous observer on the Carnegie was
writing when he said:
"The exhilaration experienced when making an ocean-
passage in a small sailing-vessel like this is beyond de-
scription. With but a few feet between you and the sea,
gracefully, rhythmically responding to every motion of
the water, you feel as though you were part of the sea
yourself. Of the many passages in ocean-liners some of
us have made we had never been so comfortable, have
never gotton so much pleasure as aboard the Carnegie."
If the days were beautiful the nights were even more so. The
27th was one of those extremely rare days when there was no cloud
in the sky. What a night for stars followed ! Magellanic Clouds
glowed in the south, and the Southern Cross itself fairly blazed.
Star-charts were brought out to aid in identifying the Southern
Hemisphere's constellations, for some of us had never before
crossed the line. We were now more than 30° south.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 161
Everything was running smoothly. The trades were strong.
The scientific program was in full swing. And there was no reason
why we, as well as our friends on shore, should not celebrate a
Thanksgiving dinner. An elaborate affair was arranged for the
night of the '29th. Everyone dressed up in his stiffest collar and
sleekest black. There were even full blown dinner-suits. A most
impressive menu was printed for the occasion, and is here repro-
duced. Readers will recognize some of the allusions, but there are
others which must forever remain a dark secret to the uninitiated.
Thanksgiving Day, November 29, 1928
Dinner
Cocktail PVlla
Radishes au Mirage Celery Imaginaire
Creme de Plankton
Lapin Roti a la Alpendorf
Papas Marinas de Barbados Sin Chaquetas
Petit (Avoir du) Pois au Cigoin
Pate de Fruits a la Marie Glenn
Gateau Chinois au Medico
Patisserie Shortwave a la Hartford
Bonbons de Slopchest
The a la Russe Cafe Noir
Cigarettes
Radio conditions became very poor during the last week of
November and almost all our contacts were lost. WIMK of
Hartford, our old stand-by, was the last to go. For several days
they sent us messages "blind," for their signals were received with
the usual strength while ours were inaudible in the United States.
Jones was able to pick up their broadcasts, one of them being a
cheery Thanksgiving message from the folks at home.
We were only 4,500 miles from Hartford, and should have had
no difficulty in sending messages that short distance. It was
thought that our antenna might be at fault, but as time went on
it became clear that we had entered an area of disturbed radio
conditions. The trouble was apparently not due to defects in our
transmitting apparatus. Schedules were arranged during night
hours, but there was no improvement.
On December 1 we made a record for balloon flights, 64 minutes.
162
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
This corresponds to an altitude of about seven miles. It is not
a remarkable record for land-stations ; but seems quite a feat when
one realizes that we were on a small vessel in choppy seas. Any-
one who has used a sextant will appreciate the terrific nervous
and physical strain involved in following an object for such a
long time.
The Carnegie Hove-to for an Oceanographic Station in the Pacific
Only enough sail is carried to keep the ship headed into the wind.
We were now nearing the famous "riddle of the Pacific" — Easter
Island. No mail awaited us, no clubs or theatres to offer relaxa-
tion from the two months of scientific routine ; but everyone looked
forward impatiently to a sight of land. We made a great loop
to the southeast of the island to clear the strong trade-winds, and
then headed northward and sighted Rano Kao Volcano on Decem-
ber 6. After skirting the Bird Rocks of legendary fame we
anchored in the foul ground of Cook's Bay, opposite the village
of Hangaroa.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 163
The island looked very uninviting from the open roadstead.
It was no more than a rocky waste. Yet it proved one of our
most interesting visits. This tiny, isolated speck in the ocean
presents a great challenge to the archaeologist. It lies two thou-
sand miles from the nearest mainland, and more than a thousand
from its nearest island neighbor. Yet there is undeniable evi-
dence that thousands of people once lived on these treeless, almost
sterile lava-plains. Today only about three hundred apathetic
natives with their domestic animals manage to scratch for a living
between the boulders, in soil that will not even grow the coconut.
Furthermore, water is scarce, for the coarse volcanic soil is so
porous that the forty-inch rainfall is lost at once. They water
their flocks and wash their cloths only from brackish springs along
the beach at low-tide, and from the crater-lakes high up in the
volcanoes.
To make the picture even blacker, the sea is almost devoid of
life in this region, and because the island is not surrounded by
shallow waters, the villagers cannot expect to subsist on shellfish
or slugs. How is it possible that this inhospitable tiny island once
produced the surplus leisure and labor necessary to build some of
the most stupendous memorial architecture in the world's his-
tory ?
Easter Island, or Rapa Nui ("Big Dancing Paddle") is situated
in the South Pacific Ocean at 27° south and 109° west. It is
about midway between Coquimbo, in Chile, and Tahiti. The
nearest island is the uninhabited Ducie (over a thousand miles
away), except for the rocks of Sala y Gomez, which lie to the east.
The area of Easter Island is forty square miles. It is roughly
triangular in shape, and consists of mountains and plains — gentle,
rolling contours except where the volcanoes are situated on the
coast. Here, there are bold cliffs. There are no true valleys,
formed by erosion; and there are no running streams. The cli-
mate is about ideal, with trade-winds blowing continuously from
October to April.
But our attention was soon distracted from the island itself
to the swarm of nr.tive boats which had come out to greet us.
Some of them recognized us at once, since the Carnegie had called
164 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
here before. But the real reason for the excitement among them
was that they had not seen a ship for six months, so far is the
island out of commercial traffic-lanes. While Torreson and Scott
were still recording the bearings of the ship, the government agent
and two political exiles from Chile climbed aboard to bid us
welcome.
A party from the Carnegie at once took the dinghy ashore for
a visit to our old friend, Mr. Edmunds, the only permanent
white resident. He is an agent of Williamson, Balfour and Co.,
who lease the whole island from Chile for stock-raising. The
landing is precarious even on a quiet day, and highly exciting
when a moderate surf rolls in from the open sea to the west. A
narrow channel in the rocks leads to a few feet of sandy beach.
One must idle a moment outside the channel waiting for a swell
large enough to carry the boat through; for even an eight horse-
power outboard motor cannot make headway against the outrush
of a receding wave.
On shore we found the whole village collected. Over the rocky
plains little puffs of dust converged toward the landing, raised
by native cowboys galloping at their characteristically reckless
pace. Mr. Edmunds was soon persuaded to accompany us back
to the ship for a renewal of acquaintance.
Upon our return a sight greeted us which was to become more
and more familiar as we voyaged through the Pacific islands.
The Carnegie swarmed with brown faces. On the forecastle-head
a seaman was bartering an old sailor-hat for a wooden idol. On
the quarter-deck the steward was haggling for a hatful of eggs.
Oscar the cook was offering a handful of empty bottles for a
scraggly chicken ; but to his dismay was told that only the trans-
fer of his trousers would close the deal. Members of the staff
found shirts the magic medium of trade. Strangely enough, new
shirts taken from the lockers were not so much in demand as old
ones on your back. The natives were in no great hurry to come
to a bargain, and would often amble away as soon as you came
to their terms.
As days passed the whole population acquired the necessary
shirts or trousers, and playing-cards, neckties, and cigarettes
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
165
were then demanded in exchange for souvenirs. The people were
inordinately fond of cigarettes, especially the women. What a
contrast from the time of the ancient explorer, Gonzalez, when the
smoking indulged in by his crew precipitated a panic of fright
among the inhabitants ! They raised great lamentations whenever
they saw smoke rising from the mouths of the sailors, and insisted
that smoking be stopped. Gonzalez was not able to determine
the cause for this superstitious fear, but could only conclude from
I
Images Lining the Slopes of Raxo Roraku, Easter Island
Where tlie sculptors did their work — this slope has been called the "show window" for
the busts stand as though awaiting buyers who would erect them on the burial platforms
along the coast.
the sign-language they employed that they objected because
"smoke goes upwards!"
Among the trinkets we picked up were stone fish-hooks, obsidian
spear-heads, wooden house-gods, "reimiros," hieroglyphic tablets,
and small stone-images which were made to resemble the gigantic
statues for which the island is famous. The basalt fish-hooks
were of enormous size, and none of us could imagine a fish being
caught by them. But there were smaller ones made of human
bone which were actually used at the time of our visit.
166 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The wooden images we obtained were, no doubt, modern imita-
tions. It was learned that expeditions value these objects, and
so they are made for trading with the infrequent ships that come
this way. They were originally made of "toromiro," a native
hard-wood brush now almost extinct from the depredations of
the sheep and cattle. Surgeon Cooke of the Mohican Expedition
describes these wooden house-gods as "rudely carved out of the
solid wood, hideous imitations of the nude human form, male
or female; two to three feet in length, with preposterous develop-
ment of the chest and preternatural collapse of the abdomen, as
though famine had brooded over the land and the patient had
perished of inanition; with attenuated forms, long, slender arms
and legs, narrow faces, a goatee, and long prominent ears. In
the eyes of these idols the iris is usually represented by a circular
button of bone, generally cut from a human skull; while a frag-
ment of obsidian, fixed in a round hole in the center of the bone,
and which glistens in the light, makes a fair imitation of the pupil,
both being deftly fitted in the wood of the eyeball."
Paul succeeded in acquiring two "reimiros," one of which was
a beautiful specimen of ornamental wood-carving. These curious
objects were hung by strings over the chest as a decoration in
the days when "war-dances" were performed. They are shaped
like a crescent moon, from one to two feet from horn to horn.
The hard wood from which they are made is intricately carved
with the characteristic hieroglyphics of the ancient race.
After our first bout of bartering with the natives aboard, several
of the staff went ashore for lunch with Mr. Edmunds. How
good his fresh vegetables tasted after our two months of tinned
food! There were cucumbers, lettuce, fresh mutton, and bananas.
Others stayed aboard and became acquainted with the two Chilean
exiles : one a military attache in Paris who was sent here for being
involved in a revolutionary plot; the other a senator who had
made some political blunder. Neither spoke English, but our
fragmentary knowledge of French, German, and Spanish gave us
the necessary vocabulary for small talk with these two charming
gentlemen. Who knows but that the authorities in Chile have
forgotten their political crimes — forgotten their very existence.'^
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 167
Paul went ashore to secure volunteers for his studies of racial
metabolism, never suspecting that half the stay in the island
would be spent in finding an Easter Islander! So hopelessl}^
mixed are the races here that only one old woman about eighty
years old had any reasonable proof that she was of pure native
stock. This old woman made a beautiful "kete" basket for Paul
from the rushes which grow in the crater-lake of Rano Kao. She
was the only one who remembered the ancient art of weaving
these rushes.
Speaking of his visit to the home of this old lady Captain Ault
writes :
"In one small hut, consisting of one room with a dirt
floor, lived a family of four women. There was a pile
of sticks in one corner, a small pile of corn in another, a
raised platform with some bedding in a third corner,
and in the fourth corner a more elaborately-equipped
single bed, about five feet above the floor. A few maga-
zine illustrations were tacked to the wall, some straw was
scattered about the floor, otherwise there was no furni-
ture and the walls and ceiling were full of cracks through
which the rain doubtless entered freely. This white-
covered bed, elevated above the dirt, gave the startling
effect of a shrine amidst squalor, of a white rose amidst a
patch of cockle-burrs, of a best room or parlor in the
middle of the kitchen.
"And here lived the old grandmother, one of the few
surviving natives of the old days, a real Paquensa, who
spoke only a few words of Spanish, and was proud to
speak them all at once as we entered the hut where she
was squatting in front of a small fire of corn-cobs in the
middle of the floor, with a battered old kettle resting on
an oddment of bricks, boiling a few grains of corn for the
family dinner.
"Her daughter is the mother of two girls, one very
dark, about 18 years old, with a native father, and the
other a very fair girl about 16 years old, who could easily
pass as a white girl. Her father was a white man, a sea-
faring man, here today and gone tomorrow. And this
fine bed is for this girl, the jewel and treasure of the
family, the rose born to bloom unseen."
168 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Hardly a crew touches here without leaving some trace in the
population, for every family seems anxious to boast a white child.
Voyagers of the eighteenth century, whalers of the nineteenth,
shipwrecked sailors, traders, expeditioners, and Peruvian black-
birders, all contributed their quota.
The first afternoon was spent ashore poking about the village.
We mounted the tough little horses which were offered everywhere
for our use in exchange for a smoke. Young girls lined the fences
along the road, making fun of us, and flying precipitately behind
the house when we rode too close. Good horsewomen themselves,
they laughed uproariously when we lost control of our mounts
in trying to pursue them.
Toward evening we saw a revolting meat-market scene. An
old woman had slaughtered a sheep near the center of the village,
and a crowd began to gather, along with the flies. They brought
sweet potatoes, bananas, and taro with which to barter for meat.
The carcass lay in the dirt, positively black with flies. As many as
could reach it proceeded to pinch the meat, jabbering away with
the old woman who was going around in her turn rolling over the
vegetables. From time to time, someone having found what he
considered a tender cut, would yell for a knife and hack off a
piece, only to have it knocked out of his hands by the old lady,
as too large for his offering of yams. While it rolled in the
dirt and the flies were having their turn, they argued to a bargain.
But all was not squalor among them. Some of the houses had
flourishing flower-gardens. On the day after our arrival the
villagers appeared dressed in dazzling white, thanks to our contri-
butions of soap and linens. They love to look clean themselves.
We had taken ashore a formidable accumulation of dirty linen
to be laundered by the native women; and paid for the work by
presenting the laundresses with twice the amount of soap neces-
sary to do the washing. Nothing is so much appreciated as this
present. On a previous visit Captain Ault had taken great pains
to teach the women how to make soap out of grease and potash,
but it was characteristic of these folk that they would rather go
without than take the trouble to make it.
No one on the ship was allowed ashore after sundown because of
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 169
the precarious situation of the vessel. The usual sea-routine of
watch-and-watch was kept aboard so that we might put out to
deep water in an emergency. We shall see how fortunate this
provision proved to be.
The houses of the village are fairly substantial structures of
wood. They rely on wrecked vessels for their lumber. The
shore near the boat-landing is covered with spikes, bolts, anchors,
and chains from these unfortunate ships. Windows are a rare
luxury. The floors are usually of dirt. Furniture is scanty and
most of the natives sleep on the floor or on low bunks set against
walls. As a rule several families occupy each house. We saw
a few cooking-utensils, but for cooking the Samoan style of the
hot-stone oven is relied on.
The schoolhouse was built in 191-i and the "governor's" wife
is the teacher. Instruction is given in the Rapa Nui language,
which was put into writing by former missionaries. The school-
mistress does not take her duties very seriously, and the building
is used as much for community dancing and feasts as for anything
else.
There is no ordained priest for the village church, but a mis-
sionary comes out each year on the boat from Chile to baptise the
infants, preach a sermon, and hold a service for the dead. He
returns with the vessel, and the church-affairs are supervised by
a native patriarch.
One of the recent visitors to Easter Island reports a scandalous
funeral ceremony which he witnessed. A distinguished personage
of the island had died. Just as the body was lowered into the
ground the natives lined up and burst into a perfectly drilled
"Hip, Hip, Hooray!" No doubt, they had picked up this cheer
from a passing English ship, but had not been told that it was
hardly appropriate as part of the funeral-rites !
December 7 was to prove our only full day of liberty ashore.
An assortment of horses and saddles awaited us on the beach in
the early morning. It was first come first served. There were
various combinations to choose from : good horses with makeshift
saddles, feeble nags with shiny trappings, and some with only a
"sheepskin over a ridgepole back." Even stirrups were a luxury,
170 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
and we had before us a thirty-mile "ride" over the roughest
terrain imaginable, headed for the famous sculptors' workshop at
Rano Raraku.
What a cavalcade ! Our Captain rode proudly in advance on
Mr. Edmund's handsome steed, with genuine saddle and stirrups.
Behind him stumbled a motley array of bedraggled followers.
A Coxey's Army on horseback. Many of the men had apparently
forgotten how to shift gears. Some would lurch forward into
full gallop, others stall at the first step. In one minute the party
had deployed all over the landscape, but not in obedience to the
Captain's command.
First one horse, then another, was a runaway. The bold vol-
unteer who hastened to aid a colleague found himself out of con-
trol in a moment, and before long the dignified explorers were
weaving wild circles over the cruel lava-fields, to the amusement
of the native guides. Captain Ault laughed uproariously at the
exhibition. He had been born and raised on a Kansas farm, and
had an unfair advantage over the rest, some of whom had never
mounted a nag before.
These horses deserve the study of a psychologist. Should there
be a few feet of sod beside a rock-pile, they invariably chose to
clatter over the rough, and would shy away from the grass as
though it were poison ivy. And, after all, we went where the
horse chose to go. With the help of the guides we steered an
easterly course, but with much tacking and wearing.
Clambering out of the village over a low ridge between two
volcanoes, we proceeded toward the southeast coast, where we
found mile after mile of megalithic burial platforms, with their
grotesque statues tumbled over in ruins. The ground was very
uneven, and strewn with lava-boulders. What grass there was
occurred in hard tufts; so that one was more comfortable on board
the horses than on foot. Scattered over the plains are small
stone enclosures in which yams or sugar-cane or taro are growing.
Besides making a clearing for cultivation, these stone circles keep
the sheep and cattle from destroying the crops.
The first stop was made at Vaihu, a cattle-watering hole on
the beach. There was formerly a considerable settlement here
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 171
with a village church. There is now nothing but a windmill and
a shed — no inhabitants. While the guides were watering the
horses, we amused ourselves by turning over the loose rocks at
the base of the images, in hope of discovering some ancient relic
overlooked by previous expeditions. Nor were we disappointed.
Paul found a collection of skeletons with bones intact, and a
pile of old skulls. Climbing under the rocks he passed the skulls
out to the others. One of them had the chiselled markings
supposed to be the sign of a chief.
While we were digging around in this way we saw a solitary
native bathing at the base of the platform. Each time before
he dived into the water he vigorously made the sign of the cross
three times, as he stood at attention facing the sea. Apparently
he had some superstitious fear of the sea.
A short ride brought us to the cabin of two Scotch shepherds
who had been brought to the island for one year to set up fences
for the cattle. These men said that our disturbing the bones of
the dead was responsible for the heavy rains that fell throughout
our excursion. We were much surprised to find a turkey walking
around in their grounds. They explained that it was left here
by the Routledges of the Mana Expedition.
After tea we proceeded to the volcano, Rano Roroku, on whose
slopes the hundreds of giant images were quarried. The nearer
we approached, the harder it rained. Only the tremendous
spectacle, which had been visible for many miles, kept us from
turning back. The long rows of overturned images and an oc-
casional fig-tree offered shelter during the heavier showers, al-
though we could not have been more thoroughly soaked.
Half buried in the debris from the quarries above, dozens of
huge busts stand up menacingly. They are single blocks of lava,
twenty to seventy feet from waist to head. There are no two
alike; but all have a prominent aquiline nose, wide nostrils, thin,
closed lips, and bold chin. None of these now standing carry
the absurd three ton hats which we had seen on our halt at the
beach. Their features, haughty and arrogant, suggest a scorn
of life. Captain Ault remarks: "The unseeing eyes, sombre,
austere expressions, and unsmiling lips give no hint of the secret
which they have been guarding for centuries."
172 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The grotesque heads are quite flat behind, as though a knife
had sHced off vertically the whole after half behind the ears.
This represents an ideal of beauty not confined to this island,
since many Polynesian peoples shaped infants' heads in this
pattern in stone molds or wooden forms.
Everywhere one sees evidence of a sudden interruption of the
work of the sculptors. Some statues are still undetached from their
rocky beds high up on the hillside, some have fallen to pieces in the
process of lowering them down, some are only roughly blocked out,
while others were apparently being moved to the platforms around
the coast when all work ceased. It has been suggested that these
were busts of great chiefs. No one knows. The magnificent
architectural plan for a complete double line of images facing each
other around the thirty-odd miles of coast, with a paved ceremonial
floor between, can be easily made out even now. The shaping
of these twenty- to sixty -ton images with no tools but stone, sand,
and water, is no more remarkable than the tooling of the much
harder material of the platforms and foundations which ring the
island. Some of us were to see the famous Inca work in the
Titicaca region in Peru, but in places this masonry was equally
impressive.
What this great outburst of the memorial arts means is still
a mystery. Was Easter Island to be the burial ground for other
Polynesian islands? How could it have been, when the nearest
is over a thousand miles away, and only open canoes were known
to the ancients. The only instruments of navigation we heard of
were crude gourds drilled with holes for measuring altitudes, while
no chronometers were known. And how were these enormous
finished statues transported for ten or fifteen miles across the rough
lava-fields without breakage? There has never been found a
trace of forest on the island to furnish wood for levers or sledges.
The engineering of the pyramids presented no greater problems.
To account for the former great population, McMillan Brown
has developed a theory which he discusses in his book, "The Riddle
of the Pacific." He presupposes a nearby archipelago which was
submerged in historical times. He bases his assumptions on the
following evidence : Easter Island legends say that the first settlers
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
173
came in canoes from the northwest; the navigator, Davis, sighted
hind to the east in 1686, now disappeared; Juan Fernandez re-
ported land to the south, with great rivers flowing down to the
sea; the ancient name of the island is said to mean "navel," as
though Easter Island were the center of the group of islands; and
there have been recent probable submergences of land in the
Pacific. This theory shows what a wild assumption must be
used to explain the presence of so many people of the island in
1
%
Colossal Statues, Easter Island
Why or even who made them no one knows — were they meant to be busts of notable
personages? (Courtesy of the Library of Congress.)
ancient times — the submergence of a whole archipelago. Our
soundings in approaching and leaving the island gave no hint
of such a submergence, although a ridge as high as the Andes was
discovered in the sea near the coast of Chile.
The fig-tree umbrellas beneath which we had halted on the way
out had furnished more fruit than cover, but we were still raven-
ously hungry, and wet. The only shelter we could find on Image
Mountain was in an artificial cave left by the sculptors when the
lava was cut away around one of the gigantic images. We spread
174
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
our lunch on the chest of the completed image, which still lay
there undetached from its rocky bed beneath. This statue was
an excellent proof that the work was suddenly interrupted. All
about us we could see through the rain images in every stage of
completion — some of them halted on their way to the burial
platforms along the coast.
What catastrophe caused this cessation of labor? There is no
evidence of volcanic activity in historical times. It is not prob-
Group of Statues, Easter Island
There are over 500 of these gigantic statues on Easter Island, some measuring 70 feet
in length and all are cut from single blocks of lava — there is evidence that the work of
the sculptors was suddenly interrupted for the images are found in every stage of com-
pletion as shown in this view reproduced by courtesy of the Library of Congress.
able that the island was attacked by hostile neighbors — the nearest
inhabitable land being over a thousand miles to the westward.
Were the people wiped out by an epidemic of disease? Or did
they devour each other during a famine? This is another of the
Island's many mysteries.
But heated arguments on this subject did not warm us up enough.
It was cold and we had to move along to keep from shivering in
our wet clothes. So we proceeded to climb up the hill to see the
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
175
crater-lake above us. A short muddy scramble up the Rano Ror-
aku and one stands at the edge of a lake spotted with island-like
masses of dank rushes. Cattle were browsing here and there
on the margins, although the grass seemed very sparse. Hoping
to bring home some new species of plankton from this isolated
crater-lake, we had brought some small silk-nets. After several
attempts to throw the net into the open water beyond the rushes,
Paul waded in over this barrier and cast it, standing in water
Quarry for Statues, Easter Island
The statues were quarried from this hill and transported to the platform along the
coast — how images weighing ten to sixty tons could be moved over the rough ground
without breakage is another mystery, the more so as there has never been a forest to supply
levers or wheels.
up to his waist. Lining this crater on the inside are more statues,
but somewhat smaller.
On our way back to the plains Seiwell and Paul circled the rim
in hopes of shooting two hawks which were soaring over the
quarries. We did not then know that these two were the only
land birds left on the Island. Many attempts have been made
to introduce game, but have invariably failed. The native
guides encouraged us to kill these hawks, since they had lost many
a chicken by their depredations.
176
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The hunt was really sportsmanlike. We were armed with a
tiny ".22" gun, and they with powerful claws. They would spiral
upward high over our heads, poise a moment, and then, if we
faced away, manoeuver behind us, and swoop straight down at
our heads, with blood-curdling cries. The odds were all on their
side, and we did not even wait to exhaust our supply of shot.
Before turning back along the southeast coast toward Hangaroa,
we rode about a mile to the famous platform of Tongariki. Here
we saw the best examples of masonry. A great pavement, made
Crater-lake of Rano Rohaku, Easter Island
The image-mountain and lake, the latter where Paul and Seiwell towed silk-nets hoping
to obtain interesting fresh-water plankton.
by fitting together gigantic stone-blocks, acts as a pedestal for
several of the largest images we had seen. They had fallen, and
were now lying face downwards, with their red tufa hats rolled
many yards inland. One of these hats was a solid piece of rock
twenty-seven feet in circumference, and nine feet high. Under
this platform one comes across caves in which are human bones
and skulls.
During all this time it had been raining. Of the large amount
of film exposed here, only a few negatives were worth printing.
This was a pity, for this platform offers the best "shots" of all.
Should any of the readers happen to stop off at Easter Island,
they might bear this in mind!
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
177
It was a great disappointment that we could not return to the
ship by way of the north coast. The sea breaks furiously on
these great basalt-cliffs, wearing them down into fantastic arches,
towers, and pinnacles. The Mohican Expedition has written
some vivid descriptions of this romantic shore-line. They found
in the caves of these cliffs many deposits of human bones — pre-
sumably the remains of chieftains which were hidden here to
prevent desecration of their bodies by their cannibal enemies.
The Platform at Tongariki, Easter Island
Near Image Mountain, constructed of enormous tooled stones fitted together in the
manner of the Incas of Peru — at the left can be seen a red tufa hat weighing several tons
which has toppled off the head of one of the images when they were overturned.
It is painful to write of the ride home. In the case of some of us
it might be described as a walk! Rain, cold, thirst, rough coimtry,
wet saddles, broken stirrups and bridles, mud, barbed-wire
fences, unwilling horses — all make it a nightmare in memory.
Certainly more than one of us would have preferred to stand up
for the evening meal on board!
The next three days were busy ones indeed. The tent for the
magnetic and atmospheric-electric station was pitched ashore,
and the intercomparisons of atmospheric electricity and the
magnetic elements were carried out day and night. The tent
178 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
was surrounded by a circle of native boys and girls who sang their
folk-songs. Captain Ault identified some of these songs as being
Tahitian and even Samoan.
But the flies and mosquitoes did not keep a respectful distance,
as the singers did. The old navigator Schouten named Rairoa
"Vliegen Island," for the hordes of flies he encountered. He should
have called here first! However, the worst pest of all was a
little beetle that had the nasty habit of crawling into one's ears.
Frank Moline, one of our seamen, suffered the tortures of the
damned from this cause.
During the afternoon Paul had clinics ashore, for the villages
have no physician among them. It was naturally impossible for
him to hand out any but the simplest remedies to these ignorant
people. There was no evidence that the people used native drugs
at the time of our visit. Several cases of serious disease like lep-
rosy, tuberculosis, and syphilis were found, but no treatment for
these could be considered in the few days of our visit. Almost
the whole town had the "seven-year itch;" so great bowls of sul-
phur ointment were distributed with directions for proper use —
directions which were certainly not followed, since it involved the
treatment of the whole village simultaneously, and a complete
change to fresh linen. The infants suffer terribly from eye-in-
fections carried from one to another by the hordes of flies. The
few lepers among the people have had a fine house built for them
some half-mile from Hangarao. They live there during the week;
but on Sundays entertain all their relatives from town in their
quarters.
On his rounds through the village, Paul would single out two
or three natives as subjects for basal metabolism measurements.
They were brought aboard for supper, and would be put to bed
in the chart-room — a necessary preliminary to the experiments
made next morning. Basal metabolism is a measure of the rate
at which oxygen is consumed by the body when lying at rest.
Recent researches have hinted that one race may use oxygen at
a faster rate than another — live at a higher speed, physiologically.
Accordingly, the doctor had been supplied with a portable ap-
paratus for use on this cruise when opportunity offered. The in-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 179
strument was loaned by Dr. Benedict of the Nutrition Laboratory
of the Carnegie Institution. Unfortunately, conditions here were
very unfavorable for these studies, since we could not work on
shore. The vessel rolled so miserably in the open roadstead
that the patients were never at complete rest during the readings.
One afternoon the Chilean exiles gave a tea in their tiny bamboo-
grove in the church-yard. They have put up a partition across
the nave of the village church, and live on one side. A very jerky
conversation was carried on in French, German, and Spanish — all
mixed at once into a single sentence at times.
We picked up from these men and from Mr. Edmunds some
good yarns about white visitors to Easter Island. It seems an
aged priest was once sent out here from Chile to spend his last
days ministering to the natives. He was presented with a luxu-
rious gold-plated casket and a very large stock of wine on his de-
parture from the coast. Everything went well for several months
after his arrival: the casket was installed in the church as an
ornament, and the wine stowed in a cellar below. Since the
villagers have no taste for intoxicating beverages the old priest
thought his wine safe. However, he soon had reason to suspect
thievery. The barrels were installed in the altar upstairs, in hope
that the culprit would not dare to commit a sacrilege. Still it
leaked, and on investigation it was found that the village "police-
man" had developed the taste. The real tragedy in his story
came some time later when the wine was exhausted and the old
priest had not yet died. There was nothing to do but wait for
the annual boat and depart with his golden casket. He refused
to part with this although a very good offer had been made to
him. He could not sell it since it was a gift from his bishop at
home. In his stay on the Island he had been able to persuade at
least one couple to be married. The woman involved had been
told by her Tahitian father that it was a necessary rite.
Some years ago the government of Chile had the sense of humor
to send out a "registrar of births, marriages, and deaths." Need-
less to say the man left in the next boat, for fear his arduous duties
should undermine his health!
There have been several shipwrecks on Easter Island; and it
180 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
is from these that the natives get their building materials. A
few years ago they had used up the last of the timber from a wreck,
and were in need of more, when a schooner carrying Oregon pine
was destroyed in a storm. Unfortunately for the inhabitants,
the only thing they saw from this disaster was the crew of the
vessel. These men had navigated a whale-boat hundreds of
miles to the Island. Mr. Edmunds describes what mental dis-
tress it was to realize that the valuable cargo of lumber was
floating around somewhere in the Pacific, when they needed it
so badly themselves.
The description given by Mr. Edmunds of the agony these
men suffered in reaching Hangaroa village was extremely vivid.
It made the literary attempts to portray such an experience look
pale by comparison. The fellows had to remain here almost a
year before a ship from Chile called, to take them off. One of the
crew found the boredom too great and shot himself.
There are some exciting yarns about the war-period. On one
occasion the German Asiatic fleet used Easter Island as a rendez-
vous and carried off beef and mutton. Another time, the S. M. S.
Prinz Eitel Friedrich came into Cook's Bay with a French bark
in tow, which carried a cargo of coal. After the coal was trans-
ferred into her own bunkers, she sank the captured vessel in the
roadstead. The local populace at first did not know that a war
had been declared, and were rather mystified by these events.
But through the boasting of some of the junior officers, the in-
formation leaked out. The Routledge Expedition was here at
the time, and anxious about the safety of their British ship, the
Mana. On their return they informed the Chilean and British
authorities that the neutrality of Easter Island had been violated.
But by that time Von Spec's squadron was operating off the
Falkland Islands.
A few days later, the staff together with the two exiles made
an excursion to Rano Kao. This old volcano rises immediately
to the south of the village to about thirteen hundred feet, and
contains a fine crater-lake. Its surface, half a mile in diameter,
is covered with a dense mat of vegetation — so thick that the
cattle walk with safety on its surface, and small trees grow on
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
181
it. The descriptions in Prescott's "Mexico" of the floating islands
in the ancient capital came at once to mind. These Aztec gardens
could be moved at will like rafts, whereas in Rano Kao the lake
is literally choked. This great garden rises and falls with the
level of the lake, which is about half way from the rim to sea-
level. Toward the sea the rim has been greatly worn away,
Ancient Rock-carvings
On the rim of Rano Kao Crater — the present inhabitants can give no account of the
race which made these decorations.
and in some distant period, Easter Island will boast a crater-
harbor like Pago Pago.
The party divided on the skyline near some carved rocks.
Soule, Seiwell, and Paul decided to approach the prehistoric cave-
dwellings on the seaward rim of the crater, by descending to the
lake-level and up the rocky slope inside. The others went on
around the top. Passing showers made the mud and boulders
slippery, and the going was tedious. At the lake-level we found
here and there a cluster of banana or fig-trees, and from the shore
182
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
of the lake practically no water was visible because of the vegeta-
tion floating upon it. With great hesitation we crept out upon
these curious gardens, floating no one knows how far from the
bottom. One might be more bold with a pair of snowshoes.
Every Saturday the women of the village make an excursion to
this lake to do the family wash.
It was not till we started the mad scramble up the other steep
slope of lava-boulders that we began to realize what a task we
An Entrance to the Burrows on the Rim of Rano Kao Crater
These caves are extensive enough to accommodate thousands of people but no one knows
why they were built.
had undertaken. Every few minutes a loud clattering of rocks
echoing across the crater told us that someone had too hastily
trusted his footing. In time the rim was reached and we found
the rest of the party exploring the seemingly endless underground
burrows made by some ancient race. Soule and Parkinson were
photographing the carvings on the rocks near the numerous low
entrances. Having crawled inside one of these curious doorways
one could proceed through a maze of tunnels by stooping slightly.
In places the roof was caved in so that one had to retreat to try
a second shaft in a different direction. The painted stone-slabs
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
183
which decorated these caves have all been removed by previous
expeditions, although we saw a few fragments here and there.
Someone has estimated that thousands of human beings might
be accommodated in these tunnels, but it is not clear what purpose
they served. Some advance the notion that they were used in
times of tribal war; some say that the young girls were secreted
here until they were marriageable; but a more reasonable ex-
"BiHU Rocks" Lying below the Caves on Rano Kao Crater
Legend says that the man who swam to these rocks and brought back the first eggs of
the sooty tern was made king for the ensuing year.
planation seems to be that they were temporary living-quarters
for the population during certain religious festivals and while
waiting for the return of the sooty tern to the "Bird Rocks,"
which lie off the base of the cliffs some thousand feet below.
To prevent the extermination of the sea-birds and spawning
fish, one of the more recent kings made it a capital offense to eat
birds' eggs or fish for the two months preceding the return of the
sooty tern from the north (usually in September) . He reinforced
this taboo by appealing to the vanity of the natives in the follow-
184 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
ing way. He who first swam out to the rocks, climbed the pre-
cipitous cliffs, and brought the egg of this tern to land was ap-
pointed "king" or chief bird-man for the year. Accordingly the
whole population took up their abode in their caves on this over-
hanging cliff for a period of several weeks in July and August,
while they awaited the arrival of the first terns. During this
time, festivals of dancing and feasts were arranged. This restraint
allowed time for the native birds to hatch their young, and for
the spawning of fish.
On the way down the slope toward Hangaroa, someone sighted
a steamer on the horizon. This caused the greatest excitement
among the natives. At once they concluded that it must be the
Chilean vessel, now long overdue, which was to call here for sheep
and wool. Seeing this ship was one of the most remarkable coin-
cidences we had observed, for Easter Island lies far away from any
possible commercial route. It might have been a tramp-steamer
making a trip toiVustralasia from the West Coast of South America.
We had found on our arrival that many sheep had been driven
into corrals near the landing to await the vessel promised for
November. Mr. Edmunds was getting apprehensive when it
was a month overdue, so through our short-wave radio equipment
on board, and amateur stations in the United States, we were
able to forward an inquiry to Williamson, Balfour and Company
offices in Valparaiso for him. Easter Island has no cable or
radio equipment, of course.
This brings to mind certain headlines that appeared in San
Francisco newspapers on our arrival in July: "Carnegie scientists
prove Easter Island has not disappeared," or words to that
effect. All of us but Captain Ault were bewildered by the state-
ment, until he explained that some enterprising newspaper
reporter broadcast a radio to Easter Island after the great earth-
quake in Chile some years ago, and, not receiving a reply, pub-
lished the report that the island had gone down. We were to
encounter even more bizarre reporting during the cruise.
The evening of December 12, a time set aside for a grand
village-dance and feast in our honor, found us far out to sea.
Late in the morning it was found that the ship was drifting from
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 185
her anchorage and was headed toward the rocks to the south of
Hangaroa — our bronze anchor was gone in sixteen fathoms.
Fortunately for us the engine responded promptly in the emer-
gency, and, with the help of a light breeze, we were clear of danger.
It was a very close call. We were not to leave this inhospitable
anchorage without paying our forfeit. So fouled with coral heads
is the ground of the bay that almost every ship loses an anchor.
This incident shows some of the difficulties of operating a
sailing-vessel with non-magnetic features like manila hawsers
instead of iron chains. The hemp had been worn through by
the constant chafing on the sharp coral. When the second anchor
failed to hold, there was nothing to do but put to sea at once,
thus cutting short what was promising to be the most interesting
call of the voyage. Only by the exercise of constant vigilance
was the Island deprived of one more shipwreck.
While the Carnegie stood off and on under fore-and-aft sails
and engine-power, the doctor was sent in the dinghy with a radio
message for Mr. Edmunds, assuring him that a steam-vessel, the
Anartico, was due to leave Valparaiso about December 20th.
The reply had been delayed several days by the wretched radio
conditions in the neighborhood. Scott went ashore to arrange
for the immediate slaughtering of some animals for our larders.
And Soule went to mail some letters. Believe it or not!
There were a few postage-stamp enthusiasts on board. Letters
are so rarely mailed here that the members of the staff usually
send home some mail in the hopes that the envelopes will carry
the surcharge "Rapa Nui." None of the letters mailed on Cruise
IV reached the United States, so there was less enthusiasm this
time. However, Soule delivered some mail to Mr. Edmunds for
forwarding by the next boat. He succeeded in getting it through
to the States, but found no special stamp or surcharge. The
envelope had been inscribed by the hand of a postmaster "Isla
de Pascua," and carried the usual Chilean stamp.
By mid-afternoon the dinghy was piled high with beef, mutton,
chickens, and bananas; and we waved good-bye. We will never
forget the kindness of Mr. Edmunds, and of the new friends we
made on this lonely island.
186 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
During our few hours of liberty ashore we could not hope to
add anything of importance to the knowledge of Easter Island.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about this fascinating
place may look up the books referred to at the end of the chapter.
It was well that we had completed our scientific shore-work during
the first few days of our visit, and had brought all the equipment
aboard. The sudden departure only deprived us personally of
a chance to relax for a few more days in prowling around the
coasts.
We were able to learn a great deal about these people in our short
stay. There were always from ten to twenty of them on board
during the day, and the whole village stood by as we did our
scientific work ashore. The population is now about three hun-
dred. Mr. Salmon, who lived during the latter part of the last
century, estimates that there were about 20,000 people on the
island in 1850. Slave-raids, small-pox, cannibalism, and emi-
gration to the islands of the South Pacific can easily account for
the decrease. For example, at one period about 5,000 natives
were carried off to work the guano-deposits on the Chinchas
Islands off the coast of Peru. Of them only two returned — and
these brought back the small-pox ! The last of cannibalism seems
to have been in 1864, at which time there were 1,500 people and
a Jesuit mission established on the island. At present the popu-
lation is slowly increasing, and emigration has ceased.
As we have said before, there is a great mixture of races here,
but the average villagers may be described in the following words.
They are medium in stature — a great contrast to the ancient in-
habitants as described in Rogewein's narrative at the end of this
chapter. They are a lithe, wiry folk with brown eyes; black,
straight hair; prominent cheek-bones; straight noses; and thin
lips. There is no resemblance to the negro. Their skin is a
light brown and their bodies are kept clean. They have a gentle,
emotional, light-hearted disposition, and display no interest in
the history of their past. These amiable islanders see no reason
to work unless they are hungry at the moment. Mr. Edmunds
engages most of the men as sheep-shearers for a few days each
year, and employs some ten boys as shepherds. The others
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
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putter around in the garden for a few minutes occasionally, and
spend their days galloping through the village on their ponies and
and in talking. How they love to talk! They show no desire
to accumulate possessions and live in a little communistic society
where everyone is considered a member of the same big family.
Once in a while they go out fishing. Our hope for witnessing
a night crayfish-hunt with torches was not fulfilled, since we left
so unexpectedly. Surgeon Cooke of the Mohican party gives a
vivid account of this "strange, weird, savage and interesting
sight."
There is no native or imported intoxicating drink on the island
— not even the "kava" of the South Seas. Their morals seem
adequate to their little society. Marriage in the exclusive, per-
manent sense is not the rule; but polygamy is not found, since
mates may be changed without much ado.
Petty stealing seems to be the commonest crime. Perhaps
this is because there is a no strict respect for personal ownerships.
From the earliest voyages of Rogewein, Cook, and La Perouse, the
natives have been addicted to thievery. The picture of the an-
cient images made by La Perouse's artist and reproduced here
shows examples of this propensity. One boy is reaching for a
hat with a stick, another is stealing a scarf, and a girl is removing
a book from the artists' pocket.
Stealing is now punished by one day's hard labor in the garden.
This is a frightful penalty for an Easter Islander. A former
governor constructed a tight sentry-box and placed the culprit
inside for a day. It was so small that the victim could not shoo
away the flies — a genuine torture-chamber.
The natives wear old-fashioned European dress, and have lost
the art of making bark-cloth from the paper mulberry tree which
grows in the crater of Rano Kao. Even their hats are acquired
from the ships that call here once or twice a year, and weaving
of rushes has been forgotten. There is no pottery, gourds being
used as water-vessels where the family has not acquired tin-ware
from trading.
The language used is the old Rapa Nui speech modified by the
use of some Spanish, English, and German nouns. It is a dialect
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 189
of the Polynesian used throughout the South Seas. Their music
seems to be similar to that in Tahiti or Samoa. We saw no native
instruments. Their singing is simple three part harmony — bass,
alto, and soprano.
There is little use for money on the Island. Goods are ex-
changed by barter. The ancient medium of trade is reported to
have been rats ! If that were true today it would be a good place
to make a fortune, for these rodents thrive. On leaving the United
States we were asked to collect as many of these animals as pos-
sible for museum use, in the hopes that a few specimens of the
old native rat might still be found. The only ones we saw were
the common rats carried aboard ships. Nevertheless, a cake of
soap was offered for each rat captured. The news spread through
the village like wildfire, and in a few hours a fine collection of
cats was brought to the landing. The villagers could not com-
prehend why we wanted rats and assumed that we had used the
wrong word. Two of these little kittens were taken aboard, and
our early departure left no time for rat-hunting.
These two Easter Island kittens were the treasures of the ship.
They were named Lena and Cleo. Tom, from Washington, had
become quite grown up since leaving home, and we hoped that
he might be the proud father of some Easter Island offspring.
Cleo fell overboard some months later; but little Lena eventually
had a litter of some eight or nine kittens.
In comparing the conditions of life here at the time of our visit
and during the previous visit of the Carnegie, Captain Ault has
this to say:
"In general there was a decided improvement in the
dress of the people and in their manner of living. Many
are growing yams, sweet potatoes, corn, and raising
sheep and cattle. They have learned that a little labor
will add much to their comfort and to their supply of
food.
"The Island is much improved in appearance. Fences
have been built dividing the entire pasturage into several
paddocks for grazing and breeding purposes, and the
ranching is being done with modern methods, with
trained shepherds. Eucalyptus trees are being planted
each year and are doing well."
190 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The following narrative of Rogewein's discovery of Easter
Island, though not exactly in place here, is altogether too delightful
to miss. It is copied from Henry's "Voyage Round the World,"
published in London in 1774. The book is so inaccessible that a
few extracts are given for the benefit of those who are interested.
"Upon the 6th day of April, being in latitude 27°S. and
longitude 268°E., we discovered an island, hitherto un-
known to any European; for which reason, according to
the usual custom on the first discovery of any unknown
land, we christened it by the name of EASTER ISLAND,
it being the anniversary of our Savior's Resurrection on
that very day that we arrived there. As soon as the
anchors were ready to drop, we observed at a distance a
neat boat, of a very remarkable construction, the whole
patched together out of pieces of wood, which could
hardly make up the largeness of half a foot. This boat
was managed by a single man, a giant twelve feet high,
who exerted all his strength to escape us, but in vain,
because he was surrounded antl taken.
"His body was painted with a dark-brown colour.
We tried with such signs and words as are used here and
there among the islands of the South Seas, to get some
intelligence from him, but could not perceive that he
understood anything, wherefore we permitted him to go
into his boat again and depart. Two days afterwards
the whole sea was covered with the savage inhabitants of
this island, who came swimming round the ship in such
multitudes, that we neither could, nor did we think it
advisable to land. They clambered like cats up the
ship's side with the utmost assurance, and came aboard,
where they did not appear to be in the least afraid of us,
but they seemed very much surprised at the largeness and
extent of our ships and rigging, and could not conceive
the meaning of all that they saw; but their curiosity was
chiefly engaged by the great guns, which they could not
enough admire, and which they frequently struck their
hands upon, to try if they could not lift them up, and
carry them ofl^; but when they saw that such logs by such
an attempt were too heavy for them, and could not be
moved, these overgrown fellows stood abashed, and were,
in appearance, very much out of humor.
"They no sooner came aboard, than we immediately
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 191
found that they were naturally as thievish and nimble-
fingered as the inhabitants of those islands to which
voyagers have affixed the name of the Islands of Thieves
[Marianas or Ladrone Islands], from the great propen-
sity of the people to rob and steal, if they were not beaten
from it. Rusty nails, old iron, and whatever they could
catch hold on, was equal to them, with which they
jumped overboard immediately. They attempted with
their nails to scratch the bolts out of the ship, but these
nails were too fast for them.
"These huge fellows came at last aboard in such num-
bers, that we were hardly capable to keep them in order,
or keep a watchful eye upon their motions, and the
quickness of their hands; so that fearing they could
become too many for us, we used our best endeavours to
get rid of them in a friendly way; but they not seeming
inclinable to leave us, we were obliged to use harsher
methods, and drive these savages out of the ship by force.
"On the 10th of April we made for the Island in our
boats, well armed, in order to land, and take a view of
this country, where an innumerable company of savages
stood on the sea-side to guard the shore, and obstruct
our landing; they threatened us mightily by their ges-
tures, and showed an inclination to await us, and turn
us out of their country ; but as soon as we, through neces-
sity, gave them a discharge of our muskets, and here and
there brought one of them to the ground, they lost their
courage. They made the most surprising motions and
gestures in the world, and viewed their fallen companions
with the utmost astonishment, wondering at the wounds
which the bullets had made in their bodies; whereupon
they hastily fled with a dreadful howling, dragging the
dead bodies along with them; so the shore was cleared
and we landed in safety.
"These people do not go naked, as many other savages
do ; every person is clothed in different colours of cotton
and worsted, curiously woven, or stitched, but nothing
misbecomes them more than their ears, which are abomin-
ably long, and in most of them hang upon the shoulders ;
so that, though they themselves look upon this as the
greatest ornament, they appeared very uncouth to us,
who were not accustomed to such; the more so, as there
were in them such extravagantly large holes and open-
ings, that we could easily put our hands through them.
192 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
"Thus far my narrative will gain credit, because it
contains nothing uncommon, yet I must declare, that all
these savages are of a more than gigantic size, for the
men are twice as tall and thick as the largest of our
people; they measured, one with another, the height of
twelve feet, so that we could easily (who will not wonder
at it !) without stooping, have passed betwixt the legs of
these sons of Goliah. According to their height, so is
their thickness, and are all, one with another, very well
proportioned, so that each could have passed for a Hercu-
les; but none of their wives came up to the height of the
men, being commonly not above ten or eleven feet. The
men had their bodies painted brown, and the women
with a scarlet colour.
"I doubt not but most people who read this voyage
will give no credit to what I now relate, and that this
account of the height of these giants will probably pass
with them for a mere fable or fiction; but this I declare,
I have put down nothing but the real truth, and with this
people, upon the nicest inspection, were in fact of such
a surpassing height as I have here described.
"After the inhabitants of Easter Island had made
trial of the strength of our weapons, as we have before
related, they began to use us in a more civil manner, and
brought us from their huts all kinds of vegetables, sugar
canes, with yams, plantains, and a great quantity of
fowls, which came very a-propos, and tended to refresh us
greatly.
"What I have seen of the worship and idols of these
savages is very wonderful. Two stones, of a largeness
almost beyond belief, served them for gods; the one was
broad beyond measure, and lay upon the ground; upon
this stood the other stone, which was of such extent and
height that seven of our people with outstretched arms
would hardly have been able to encircle it; so that it
appeared to me, and all others, impossible that this stone
could have been lifted up and placed upon the other by
the inhabitants of these islands, how large and strong
soever they might be; for, besides the thickness, it was
fully as high as three men. About the top of this stone
there was cut or carved the shape of a man's head,
adorned with a garland, which was set together in the
manner of inlaid work, made of small stones, in a manner
not very improper. The name of the largest idol was
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 193
called Taurico, and the other Dago; at least these were
the words they called to them by, and wherewith they
worship them.
"These savages had great respect for the two idols,
Taurico and Dago, and approached them with great
reverence, namely, with dancing, shouting, jumping,
and clapping of heads, in the same manner as we read
in holy writ, that the children of Israel worshipped the
golden-calf which Aaron set up; and when the cannon
(of which they seemed to be in great terror) were dis-
charged, and the heavy shot sounded in their ears, they
made surprising and wonderful gestures and leaps, and
pointed with their finger, first to our people and then to
their gods, whom they appeared to supplicate for help
against us, and to call upon with a frightful shout, and
howling of Dago! Dago I
"While we lay before this Easter Island, a heavy
tempest surprized us, which pressed so much on the ships,
that I had no thought but that they would drive from
their anchors, and we with them to a miserable end on
this coast, which God prevented, the storm being at last
appeased, without having done any damage to the ships."
Anyone who wishes to learn more about this unique island would
do well to read "The Mystery of Easter Island" by Mrs. Rout-
ledge, or "The Riddle of the Pacific" by J. MacMillan Brown.
An extensive bibliography on Easter Island may be found in a
publication of the Foreign Office, Great Britain, Historical Sec-
tion, Numbers 141 and 142, entitled "Malpelo, Cocos, and Easter
Islands," London, H. M. Stationery Office, 1920. (Obtainable
in the United States through the British Library of Information,
French Building, New York, N. Y.)
After clearing the dangerous waters of Easter Island by the
aid of our engine and a slight breeze, we struck out for the long
loop to Callao. For two weeks we waged a constant battle with
head-winds. It was necessary for us to go about 800 miles south-
ward before we struck the westerlies which were to carry us
eastward toward the coast of South America. This detour took
us 300 miles out of our course. We were only three days out
when a short gale pounced upon us and pushed us back to the
west. The sea was very choppy for a time, and our balloon theod-
194 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
olite had a close call. Although it is mounted solidly on a tripod,
one roll knocked it off its balance and it pitched over the rail.
The observer managed to grab one of the tripod-legs just in time
to save the instrument. After this experience we never failed
to tie the apparatus down to the desk with some rope-yarn.
At our first oceanographic station out of Easter Island, we gave
the glass-tube bottom sampler its first trials. This outfit was
loaned to us by the German Atlantic Expedition of the Meteor.
It is a superior instrument because it collects a vertical section
of the bottom deposit down to a depth of some two or three feet.
The snapper-type we had been using merely samples the upper
few inches of the bottom and gives very little information as to
the successive layers in which the sediment was deposited. Un-
fortunately, the German apparatus was very heavy and offered
a large surface-resistance to the water. Our power was so limited
that it was not possible to use it as a routine procedure.
Radio conditions continued to be very bad and schedules were
uncertain. We occasionally intercepted messages to the Byrd
Expedition and communicated with them, but we seemed to have
difficulty in pushing our signals through to the United States.
On Christmas Eve conditions improved and Jones was able to
handle some twenty-eight messages that had piled up during the
past days. As these were mostly personal Christmas greetings,
they were particularly appreciated. As Captain Ault remarked:
"The modern Santa Claus apparently saw the frolicsome re-
flecting layers and radio waves as he passed along on Christmas
Eve and set things right for our benefit."
During these days we met unusual meteorogloical conditions.
We had drenching dews at night, and on December 22 we en-
counted a real fog — an extraordinary experience in this area.
As we proceeded southward the plankton-tows became heavier
and heavier; and surface-life increased as well. Great fleets of
Portuguese men-of-war sailed by us from time to time. With this
change we also came into regions of heavy surface-currents which
were a great handicap in the oceanographic work. At one station
we had to lower the Nansen bottle-series four times to a depth of
3,000 meters before the messengers finally released the bottles.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
195
The wire-angle was so far from the vertical that the bottles would
not upset when the weight struck them after sliding down the
wire. At these angles, any small marine organism which caught
in the wire would arrest the messenger on its way downward.
By Christmas our supply of fresh food was getting very low,
and we decided to have one grand feast out of what was left rather
than to spread it out over another week. Accordingly, all of the
chickens we had brought aboard were killed for Christmas dinner.
The Albatross of the South Pacific
Easily caught with a fishing-hne and bait.
The last of the fresh beef had been consumed for lunch that day.
The members of the scientific staff dressed up in their best Sunday
clothes and had a merry time celebrating our first real holiday
at sea. Captain Ault had given orders that no scientific work
was to be done. Ordinarily, Sundays and holidays found us mak-
ing the usual oceanograpnic or magnetic station, as the case
might be. We played "500" till late that evening and finished
up by taking a ghastly flash-light picture of the staff.
A few days later we saw our first wandering albatross. It
196
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
circled about the ship for several hours as we lay becalmed in the
neighborhood of what is marked on the charts as "Podesta Island
— Existence Doubtful." On December 26 we had been able to
head up for Peru, having reached 40° south at noon. We had
been driven 10° out of our intended course and we were not far
from the iceberg-region. Enormous quantities of salps were seen
in the water, and many specimens were dipped up at night with
the depth-light hanging from the quarter-deck.
A Small "Bottle-nose" Whale of the South Pacific
Coming up for air near the Carnegie.
Captain Ault determined to search for the mysterious Podesta
Island before we left this area. We passed within two miles of
its charted position, but we did not see any signs of land. The
visibility was excellent, and the soundings gave no hint of shoaling
in the neighborhood. It is very difficult to get a "doubtful island"
off a chart, once it has been entered there. We could only send
our report to the Hydrographic office to be added to the numerous
others that have come in from unsuccessful searching parties.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
197
Our New Year's dinner was less of a gastronomic treat than
the one on Christmas, for the bay-leaves and "kitchen bouquet"
could not disguise the fact that the chicken came from a tin can.
Nevertheless, we made up for this by making a deafening racket
to welcome in the new year. The noisiest record was played on
Large Deep-sea Organism
Resembling a pink stocking captured with a silk net at a depth of 1,000 meters — these
jelly-like animals often arrested the "messengers'
Nansen sampling-bottles.
sent down the wires to reverse the
the Victrola, pots and pans were requisitioned from the galley,
the fog-horn was brought out, and before we were through, Seiwell
went on deck to discharge the bird -gun. Those of us who stayed
below did not even hear him, such a din was being raised in the
close quarters of the cabin!
The first week of 1929 was featured by calms and light airs.
198 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
For five days we logged only 44 miles a day. The gasoline supply
was getting so low that it was not possible to use the auxiliary
engine. Two weeks of head-winds leaving Panama, and two
months' operation of the electric generators had left us little for
pushing our way through calms. Of course, it was not possible
to buy gasoline in Easter Island! On these long voyages we
found that the power-requirements for oceanographic work, radio,
and lighting used almost as much fuel as the main engine.
At our ocean-station on January 3 we varied our plankton-work
by lowering a large silk-net to 1000 meters. The surface-water
was so rich with life that the net was almost burst with the haul.
There were salps, medusae, and ctenophores, but the most in-
teresting part of the catch was an enormous stocking-like colony
which we have not yet identified. It was a beautiful object when
we separated it from the rest of the catch. It filled a small bucket
by itself and looked as though it were made of pink-colored
tapioca pressed out into a long hollow tube.
On the next day we experienced the most remarkable coinci-
dence of the cruise. At sunset someone reported smoke on the
horizon. In our nine weeks in the Pacific we had seen only one
ship, so that it was an event to see even smoke on the horizon.
There was a premonition in everyone's mind that this ship was
the Antartico, bound for Easter Island. However, that would be
absurd. We were three hundred miles out of our course. She
was to have left Valparaiso on December 20. And in any case,
her course would not bring her into this region. Nevertheless,
at dusk, our suspicions were verified and the Antartico came
alongside for a friendly visit.
The Captain had never before been to Easter Island and was
surprised beyond belief to hear that we had just cleared from that
place. He had not been informed that it was we who had sent
the radio to the company's office in Valparaiso. A torrent of
anxious questions was shouted across the water to Captain Ault.
Was there a good anchorage.^ Could he get water.'* Was there
a supply of coal.'' The answers were not reassuring. We told
him that we had had to leave precipitatedly because we had
lost our anchor and that he would find no supplies there.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
199
On leaving Cook's Bay we had sent Mr. Edmunds a note re-
questing him to fish up our bronze anchor, if possible, and to
forward it by the Antartico to Valparaiso. A sketch was made
showing the bearings of the ship when we lowered the anchor,
hoping that this might enable his men to locate it. The anchor-
buoy had disappeared below the surface for some unaccountable
reason, so that the usual mark for lost ground-tackle could not
be used.
A few months later we had a radio from headquarters in Wash-
ington saying that our anchor was in Valparaiso and that it was
being shipped to Japan for us. Mr. Edmunds had written a
PHYSICAL FEATURES VERTICAL CROSS-SECTIONS OCEAN-WATER PACIFIC OCEAN
PASSAGE CANAL ZONE TO EASIER ISLAND TO PERU-OCTOBER 1926 TO JANUARY I9J9
64
OCEAN-STATIONS 35-70
61 60 59 58 S; 56SS5g SI 50 49 48 4/
Typical Vertical Section Showing Temperatures at Various Depths for Voyage
FROM Panama to Easter Isl.\.nd to Peru
letter telling us how it had been recovered. The water was too
deep for the natives to dive for it, so they hauled up on the buoy-
rope, hoping that it would hold the heavy weight — and it did.
Fishing for lost ground-tackle was by no means a new task for
Easter Islanders. The usual method is to lower a man to the
bottom on a small kedge-anchor, have him attach a heavy rope,
and bring him with the anchor to the surface. A few years ago
one of these natives divers was badly mangled when he was fouled
in the lines.
Radio contacts continued to be very erratic. "Skip-distance"
effects played havoc with the schedules. For the two weeks
200 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
preceding our arrival in Peru we were unable to communicate
with headquarters.
On January 8 we made one of the salient discoveries of the
cruise. A sounding of 13,000 feet had been made during the
night, but the usual eight o'clock sounding was omitted because
the "shot-gun" was out of order. When the depth was deter-
mined at ten o'clock it was found to be only 4,700 feet! By noon
it had shoaled to 3,900 feet and Captain Ault gave orders to heave
to for a wire-sounding. But the wire-length and pressure-ther-
mometers checked the sonic depth very nicely. A sample of
globigerina ooze was taken at the same time. We thus confirmed
the finding of a great submarine mountain ridge, rising to 10,000
feet above the general level of the surrounding ocean-floor —
almost as high as the Andes. Thirty miles beyond, the soundings
again gave 13,000 feet.
This new ridge was named in honor of Dr. J. C. Merriam,
President of the Carnegie Institution. Captain Ault believed
that it was a northern extension of the peaks which break through
the ocean surface at San Felix and San Ambrosio, 140 miles away.
It was a great disappointment to us that our time was too limited
to explore this interesting region more thoroughly.
Shortly after meeting the Antartico we had picked up the south-
east trades. These steady winds drove us along in fine style
toward Callao. However, the sky became overcast as we neared
the coast, interrupting our declination-observations and the
balloon-flights. It was even difficult to get good time-sights for
determining our geographical position. Frequently we were
able to use the stars for this purpose when the sun had been ob-
scured all day.
If the heavily clouded sky interfered with the magnetic and
astronomical observations, it offered ideal conditions for com-
paring the electrical resistance-thermometers of the multithermo-
graph. The steady wind and absence of direct sunlight on the
instruments made the readings reliable. To make these stand-
ardizations, Paul would climb up to the cross-trees or have him-
self hoisted to the main truck in a bo'son's chair. At thirty-second
intervals, timed to coincide with the recorder in the control-room,
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
201
he would read off the wet- and dry-bulb temperatures from the
Assmann psychrometer he held in his hand. It was sometimes
a very thrilling experience, especially in rough seas; for he must
manage to hold a watch, a recorder's pad, a pencil, a bottle of
water, and the psychrometer in one hand while he clung to the
mast with the other.
Our last two oceanographic stations before reaching Peru
brought bad luck. On January 10 the piano-wire broke, causing
the loss of the bottom-snapper, a Nansen bottle, and two thermom-
eters. However, the trouble encountered on January 12 was
so unusual that we rather enjoyed it. The bottom-sampler was
PHYSICAL FEATURES VERTICAL CROSS" SECTIONS OCEAN-WATER PACIFIC OCEAN
PASSAGE CANAL ZONE TO EASICH ISLAND TO PERU-OCTOBER I9.?8 TO JANUARY I9i9
OCEAN-STATIONS 35-70
61 60 S9 58 57 565552 51 50 49 M "7 46 45 44 4.3 4^^ 41 40
SECTION IV
XJittWLO
SECTION 11
VMS tgLkTmK
StCIION I
Typical Vertical Section Showing Salt-content of Sea-water at Various Depths
FOR Voyage from Panama to Easter Island to Peru
being sent down as usual and 500 feet were paid out when the wire
suddenly went slack. This was certainly bewildering for there
was a great depth of water below the ship. The windlass brought
back the sampler and sure enough, it had closed. What had we
struck? Was it a whale? This was the only explanation which
seemed plausible. The sounding was then repeated, and a good
sample was received from several thousand feet.
Soule had a set-back in his work in the laboratory about this
time. One morning he found that the wax which holds the
cells in the salinity -bridge had melted and had dropped into the
water-bath below. An indescribable mess resulted. It
quired two days of hard work to clean things up.
re-
202
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
We entered the Humboldt Current again about 75 miles from
Callao. The temperature of the surface dropped suddenly, for
we had entered water which flows from the Antarctic along the
coast. The wind died out and left us to work our way to port
with the remaining gallons of gasoline.
The sea was literally choked with small fish. A single dip of
the hand net would half fill a bucket. And they were good fish.
In a few moments the steward and cook had enough for both
messes. Enormous flocks of sea-birds were diving all about us.
These were all signs that our 81 -day voyage from Panama was
nearlv over.
<%^v*^*'»s*<«'-*«u«'-at»3iiK«i*^d.^
The Waters Off the Coast of Peru Abound with Fish, but the Birds Are the
Fishermen
The guano deposits on the islands of Peru and Chile are one of the chief national
resources.
The overcast sky on January 13 had made good time-sights
impossible. However, early on the following morning, by stand-
ing by for a break in the clouds, the observers obtained a good
"shot" on Rigel and Arcturus. Captain Ault then set his course
so as to bring us just north of San Lorenzo Island. The fifty-
mile stretch was sailed without changing our heading and we
found ourselves only one mile from the desired landfall. By
three o'clock we were anchored in Callao Bay, ten days behind
schedule.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 203
A tense feeling of apprehension on the part of our friends in
Peru had been created before we arrived. We were two weeks
later than had been expected; furthermore, our short-wave wire-
less communication had failed about that time. Paul's mother,
who had come down from Washington laden with letters and
Christmas gifts for the personnel, and Forbush, one of the ob-
servers at the Huancayo Observatory, had become so alarmed
that they had requested the vessels of the Peruvian Navy to
broadcast daily calls for us. It seems difficult in these days of
steam to realize that a sailing-ship like the Carnegie may be delayed
so long, and may all the time be enjoying fine weather.
All hands were glad of the change in routine which port-life was
to offer. However, there was to be little relaxation for most of the
men, since there were extensive repairs to supervise; new equip-
ment to install; magnetic observations to make ashore; and an
endless series of reports to prepare covering the long cruise just
completed. Nevertheless, several members of the staff had an
opportunity to leave the vessel and to make a trip into the Andes.
The first few days were spent on board the ship, completing
computations and in making repairs to the scientific equipment.
Shortly after our arrival we had been moved to a wharf, which
greatly facilitated the reprovisioning of the vessel. Parkinson
at once developed the moving-picture film which had been taken
during the last three months. Soule and Paul overhauled the
meteorological instruments. And Captain Ault went ashore
to make his official calls.
By January 19, the program of work in port had been well
laid out, and Captain Ault, together with Soule, found it possible
to make a visit to the Huancayo Magnetic Observatory. Paul
had applied for a week's leave of absence and had already left,
with his mother, for Huancavo.
To reach this city, one takes the Central Railroad of Peru,
which is the highest standard -gage railroad in the world. The
train follows the Rimac River for several hours, passing through
many towns noted for their beautiful orchards and flower gardens.
The grades then become so steep that the train must zigzag
back and forth on a series of switch-backs. One passes through
204
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
205
seventy tunnels and crosses innumerable bridges before reaching
the divide at an altitude of almost 16,000 feet.
Long before this, the passengers have begun to show signs of
mountain sickness. Some are complaining of splitting headaches ;
others find themselves out of breath when they merely walk
across the station-platform; and the train-physician is busy going
from car to car with an oxygen tank to relieve those most seriously
The Primitive Wooden Plow
Still used by the Indians of the Peruvian sierra — note the buildings of the Huancayo
Magnetic Observatory in the distance.
affected. The railway company keeps special trains in readiness
to send anyone back to Lima who shows signs of heart-failure.
After passing the tunnel through the topmost peak, the train
descends gradually to Oroya. In this city are located the great
smelters of the Cerro de Pasco Copper Company. The poison-
ous fumes from these plants kill all the vegetation for miles around.
On the way up the mountain many trains of flat cars are passed
which carry the unrefined metal to the coast.
There is still a long journey down the Mantaro River before
206
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
one reaches Huancayo. Only rarely does one see a patch of snow
on the mountains. The most striking sight is the superb example
of the effect of compression on the rocks of these barren peaks.
Even at this elevation, travelers have picked up fossil remains of
marine shells, which indicate that at one time these mountains
were lying below sea-level.
At nightfall, the party was met by the staff of the Huancayo
Magnetic Observatory, which is located some nine miles from the
A Herd of Llamas
Passing the Huancaj'o Magnetic Observatory, loaded with grain which is being carried
from some distant hacienda to the coast.
city. For several days Captain Ault and Soule were busy in-
specting the equipment and conferring with the observers.
Huancayo is one of the largest cities in Peru which still retains
the flavor of the old native life. Its Sunday market is noted
throughout the whole country. "Cholos" from the mountain
villages bring their wool and grain; Indians from the Amazon
valley bring fruits and vegetables; traders come from the coast
with dyes, soap, and other manufactured articles which are in
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
207
A Typical Village Church in the Andes of Peru
At San Geronimo, near the Huancayo Magnetic Observatory.
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Gulls Near Huancayo
They seem quite at home in a farmyard in these high altitudes.
208
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
demand by primitive folk. During the night thousands of people
arrive in the city. By dawn the streets are covered with little
piles of merchandise and the bartering has commenced.
When their work at the Observatory was completed, Captain
Ault and Soule returned to the ship. When they arrived in Callao
they told a hair-raising tale of a ride down the sixteen thousand
feet on an open hand-car. They plunged through jet-black
Flowering Cactus
Thrives in the high valleys of the Andes— these are growing near the Magnetic Observa-
tory at Huancayo.
tunnels only to shoot out, with abandon, on to dizzy trestles and
around breath-taking curves with the sky below. The Peruvian
guard, with whom they rode, went in advance of the train to "feel
out" the track for any break or loose stones on the right of way.
For once, they realized how cold can bite! The whole flying
descent was made by gravity, and there was only a small hand-
brake to ease them over the most appalling stretches.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
209
Meanwhile, Parkinson and Jones had departed for Huancayo
to compare the magnetic instruments at the Observatory with
those on board and to recondition the radio equipment. Paul
and his mother had already returned to the coast.
While in Callao we were invited to make some meteorological
observations with air-planes furnished by the local aviation com-
pany. Parkinson, Scott, Torreson, and Jones made flights, with
the necessary instruments, over Lima and its vicinity. They also
Winnowing Barley
After the barley has been trodden out by horses on the earthen threshing-floor-
Huancayo Magnetic Observatory.
-near
demonstrated, by using pilot-balloons, what useful information
could be obtained about the currents in the upper atmosphere.
We were all much impressed by the progress of aviation in Peru.
Lima is served by several regular air-lines from north, east, and
south; and journeys formerly taking a week may now be made
comfortably in a few hours. Paul's trip to Arequipa took only
five hours by air, whereas two days were required for the return
journey by rail and mail-boat.
210
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
211
On Januaiy 25 the vessel entered the floating dry-dock at San
Lorenzo Island. It was necessary to repair the copper sheathing
and to overhaul the oscillator, which had been out of commission
for more than two months. While this was being done we nar-
rowly excaped a serious accident. Ordinarily, when assembling
the instrument for use, a pressure of forty pounds per square
inch of carbon dioxide was run into this apparatus. Accordingly,
a gauge was ordered to check accurately this pressure before
The Sunday Market at Huancato
Famous throughout Peru — the people from the country for miles around come to town
to trade their grain, vegetables, fruit, hides, pottery, coca, and other products of the sierra
and the montana for shoes, saddles, furniture, and other manufactured goods.
the vessel was refloated. Soide and several workmen were filling
the oscillator from a tank of compressed gas; and, when the gauge
read "sixteen" the packing was violently blown out. Fortu-
nately, no physical injury was caused to the men. It was then
discovered that the gauge furnished was made to read in "atmos-
pheres" and not "pounds" pressure, thus registering in units
about fifteen times greater than the one they had ordered.
The journey from Callao to the floating-dock, a distance of
212
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
213
about five miles, may be classed as one of the most dangerous in
our experiences. The region is frequented by very dense fogs,
which pour down continuously from the slope of San Lorenzo
Island to the harbor. One must navigate the small ferries by
compass. The launch was hopelessly lost for an hour during
the first trip. Its captain had lost his bearings, and furthermore
his compass was mounted directly over the Diesel engine! The
second trip was made in shorter time, by Soule's reading the com-
A Native Inn at Huancayo
The sign over the door proclaims that "consolation of the afflicted" is on sale by the
glass, bottle, or keg — chanchamayo is a liquor and chicha a native beer; the musical instru-
ment in the painting is the Peruvian harp.
pass, held well away from the machinery, and by Captain Ault
himself giving orders to the man at the wheel. So well, in fact,
was the stretch navigated that they almost ran down the dry-dock
before they sighted it in the fog.
While the vessel was in dry-dock the staff moved to the Hotel
Bolivar — a very welcome escape from the cramped quarters of
the cabin, and from the diet of the ship. For even the finest
quality of goods, and the ingenuity of a ship's cook, fail to make
tinned fare appetizing after a few months at sea.
214
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Sundays and evenings in port were spent going to the movies,
window-shopping, attending bull-fights, and in making trips to
places of historic interest. Of these excursions, one of the most
interesting was that taken by Parkinson and Torreson to the
ancient Inca ruins at Pachacamac. They were accompanied by
Dr. and Mrs. Tovar, whom they had met while they were sta-
tioned in Huancayo as observers, before the cruise commenced.
Native Dancers Pay a Visit to the Huancayo Magnetic Observatory
They are dressed for one of the numerous festivals.
No opportunities were missed for seeing characteristic Peruvian
life. The native markets, national lotteries, and coca-chewing,
were new experiences. It was also new to live in a country where
almost every essential commodity of daily life is controlled by a
monopoly. Matches, tobacco, and sugar, for example, are all
on this list. There is a twenty -five dollar fine for carrying a
cigarette-lighter, or any matches except those of Peruvian manu-
facture. Someone in the United States had the sense of humor
to send one of our men a lighter for Christmas! We were usually
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
215
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THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The Earthen Oven Used by the Indians in the Andes
The kerosene tin at the left is put to a multitude of uses, just as it is everywhere else
in the far corners of the world.
The Indian Women of the Andes Spin Wool-yarn as they Walk or Gossip
Exquisite rugs and shawls are woven on their hand-looms.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
217
Burial Place in Lima
In Lima one rents a tomb just as one does an apartment — when the rent is not paid
the space is let to someone else, and your bones are disposed of in short order.
Burro Burden-bearer
Shares with the llama the distinction of being the best burden-bearers at great altitudes.
218
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
219
searched for foreign matches as we came ashore. On one occasion
Paul was landing for a trip to Oroya, high in the Andes. He had
put a few aspirin tablets into a Swedish match-box for protection
against the usual headache which develops as the first symptom
of "soroche," or mountain sickness. The customs agent, with a
gleam in his eye, fished the offending article from his suitcase;
opening it, he found matches of a new shape indeed ! Not to be
Facade of the Ancient Jesuit Church, Arequipa
The church was constructed in 1698 (the date shown on the tablet at the right of the
entrance) of the soft volcanic rock which abounds in the country around Arequipa — the
building is in good condition and is still in use as a church.
fooled by this Yankee trickery, he solemnly removed one of the
white pellets and struck it on the side of the box!
While up in the mountains we heard several good stories of life
in the "montana" region on the lower eastern slopes of the Andes.
Many of these had to do with the primitive Indian tribes which
still resent the intrusion of outsiders into their forest domain.
Not long ago a certain British naturalist had been sent to negoti-
220
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
ate with one of these wild Indian tribes. He was unable to allay
the antagonism of the natives and planned to live among them
until they became friendly. So he built himself a shack out of
galvanized iron roofing which he had brought in from the coast.
One night his shanty was surrounded by a circle of hostile warriors
armed with bows and arrows. When he appeared at the door
he was greeted by a volley of arrows. He retreated inside and
,^ y.
The Original "Bridge of San Luis Rey," near Chupaca, Peru
for several hours lay there listening to the din made by the arrows
as they struck the iron sheeting.
On the following day he emerged to find the woods apparently
deserted. The Indians had been greatly surprised to find the
house impervious to arrows and had retreated for a council-of-
war. Their plan was to burn the house while the Britisher was
away. That evening he returned to find great piles of ashes
around the shack and a group of Indians making signs that they
wished a peaceful interview with him. They had been even more
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
221
impressed by the fact that the house would not burn than that
it would turn back arrows, and promised the Britisher no further
molestation if he would only tell them what tree it was that pro-
duced the marvellous bark of which his house was built! They
would like to grow such trees themselves.
On January 2'2 the shore-station was set up at Las Palmas
aviation-field; and for several days, determinations of the mag-
A Wayside Shrine in the Andes of Peru
Religion plays a very large role in the life of the natives — in fact, there is probably no
country in the world in which the church is so powerful.
netic elements were made to find out what changes had taken
place since our last visit to Peru.
Callao offered a remarkable contrast to our other ports of call
in that very few visitors came to inspect the ship. Captain Davy
of the United States Navy and his group of Peruvian naval-
school cadets were about the only ones to show any interest in
the scientific aspects of our work. The Peruvian naval and
aviation services employ American officers to train their men, and
222 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
we made many friends among these instructors. One afternoon,
Commander Wyatt and Lieutenant Johnston paid us a call in their
little yellow sea-plane. Captain Ault had known Commander
Wyatt since 1923 when they had met in San Diego. At that
time Captain Ault was a member of the solar eclipse expedition
sent to California from our headquarters in Washington. After
these visitors had seen the ship, they invited Captain Ault to take
a flight over San Lorenzo Island and Callao.
Soon after his return from Huancayo, Paul made a trip by air-
plane to Arequipa and Lake Titicaca. This short trip is one of
the most magnificent in the world. One travels southward along
the barren coast to Mollendo; crosses the coastal range; then a
wide desert; and finally spirals down into a green valley in which
Arequipa is situated. This ancient city, once the capital of Peru,
has remained almost unchanged since the days of Pizzaro.
When flying over the deserts along the coast of Peru one sees
to best advantage those curious traveling sand-dunes which are
characteristic of the region. They are shaped like a horse's
hoof and measure from ten to one hundred feet across. Each of
these dunes is composed of sand-particles of a single color, so
that there will be white ones and black ones moving side by side
over the plain. The direction of the prevailing wind can be told
by noting the orientation of these dunes.
When the various members of the staff of the Carnegie had
come together again from their excursions into the mountains.
Dr. and Mrs. Tovar invited us all to a dinner. Among the other
delicacies they served were oysters sent down from New York on
ice. No memory of Peru is more delightful than the evening
spent in their home.
Our last days in port were spent in the company of some of
the observers from the Huancayo Magnetic Observatory who had
come down to Callao to return our visit. These people only
rarely have an opportunity for leaving their isolated post and
seemed to envy us our wandering existence.
Several changes in the crew had been made in Peru. There
were two new cabin-boys: one, a young lad from Ecuador; the
other, a fine Bohemian who had been a member of one of the nu-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 223
merous colonies sent from Europe to open up the eastern slopes
of the Andes. This young man, a favorite of us all, was killed
in the explosion at Samoa which also took the life of Captain
Ault. Two vacancies in the sailing crew were filled by Frank
Moline, an old-fashioned, deep-water sailor, and Arthur Ericksen;
while Bagelman was promoted from seaman to mechanic.
Before sailing, we took aboard the ship a new bronze anchor
which had arrived from New York to replace the one lost at
Easter Island. On February 5 we put out to sea for what was to
prove the finest passage of the cruise — next stop Tahiti. The
breezes were steady and fair, skies clear, sea moderate, and con-
ditions for observing ideal.
CALLAO TO APIA TO PORT APRA TO YOKOHAMA
The month of February was a notable one for us in that we
made several important changes in our instruments and methods.
Ever since our departure from Washington, an attempt had been
made to use the marine earth-inductor for determining the strength
of the earth's magnetic field in addition to the angle of inclina-
tion. All the trials up to the present time had failed to give re-
sults as reliable as those obtained with the standard "deflector."
By changing the method slightly we were now getting comparable
readings.
The Carnegie has ever been on the alert for new and simpler
methods for making physical measurements at sea. In fact,
her contributions in this respect may be considered among the
greatest of her achievements for science, because little advance
can be expected until reliable and practical instruments are
available.
In collecting samples of the ocean-bottom we had been using
a "snapper" type of collector, in which a large lead weight sur-
rounding the shaft was made to close the jaws when bottom was
struck. It often happened, however, that the apparatus hit at
an acute angle and not head-on; in which case it would fail to
close. By countersinking the weight so as to bring it down over
the spring, the center of gravity was lowered. Thereafter, only
one failure was recorded from that cause. When it is realized
224
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
that it took from two to three hours to make a sounding, and used
a considerable amount of our supply of gasoline, it will be ap-
parent how greatly this simple change helped us.
Bottom-snapper with Countersunk Lead Weight
By countersinking the lead weight on the bottom-snapper the center of gravity was
lowered to insure striking the bottom head on.
Another advance in methods was the modification of a Sigsbee
reversing-frame to contain two thermometers instead of one.
This frame was attached to the sounding-wire near the bottom-
snapper, and the original single thermometer gave us only the
temperature of the bottom-water. This information itself is of
great interest to oceanographers. However, we needed a check
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
225
on the depth from which the deposit was collected — a check which
would be more reliable than that offered by the length of wire
paid out and the angle. Due to the drift of the vessel and cross-
currents in the deeps, the wire almost never dropped in a straight
line to the bottom. We were able to calculate depths accurately
from the difference between the readings of two reversing-ther-
mometers sent down together. One of them was protected against
the enormous pressures at great depths to give the true tempera-
ture; the other, being unprotected, gave a reading which repre-
sented the temperature plus the mechanical "squeezing" of the
mercury bulb due to the weight of the water-column above it.
A Propeller-device for Reversing Deep-sea Thermometers
This is attached to the bottom-sampling wire, and when the sampler is hauled in the
propeller turns and releases the pin which holds the thermometers upright as they plunge
to the bottom — temperatures of the ocean-bottom have rarely been measured, although
they are of great interest to oceanographers.
Our echo-sounding device gave us a third check on bottom-
depths, of course. In scientific work such as we were doing,
there are never too many checks. Even the simplest procedure
is subject to error at times; and our aim was to attain the highest
degree of accuracy possible in every measurement made on board.
During heavy weather we often found our silk tow-nets torn
by a sudden surge of the vessel. These nets were very expensive,
and had to be made to order in Washington. So we made every
effort to save them. On February 18, we tried attaching the
nets to the ship by a long rubber rope commonly used in the
landing gear of air-craft. Afterwards, we seldom lost a net. In
addition, after February 6, the plankton-tows were made from
the forecastle head, thus reducing the danger of fouling the other
wires which were lowered from the quarter-deck.
226 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The work with the pilot-balloons was made very successful by
the beautiful blue skies we enjoyed after clearing the dense clouds
of the Peruvian coast. These flights often lasted thirty to sixty
minutes, so one can imagine the severe strain on the muscles hold-
ing a heavy sextant for that length of time. It was necessary
to devise some method for supporting the instrument. One of
the deck-chairs was fitted with arms and uprights to support an
over-head bar. The instrument was suspended from this by a
long, thin coil-spring. In this way the entire weight was removed
from the observer's arms; while still allowing freedom of motion.
The whole outfit could easily be moved to whatever part of the
deck was most favorable for observing the balloon. Captain
Ault dubbed the device the "Joshua Chair," in honor of the old-
testament hero who commanded the sun to stand still. He had
also suggested that it might better have been named in honor
of Moses who at one cricitical moment in history had to call in
the assistance of two men to support his arms.
Captain Ault says: "With this device we have perhaps carried
the matter to an extreme, and caused the balloon to stand still.
On at least three occasions, the balloon has suddenly appeared to
be fixed in the sky, moving only very slowly in altitude and azi-
muth. On the first occasion, Torreson, the observer at the
theodolite, was observing the balloon for fifteen minutes without
getting much change. Finally, Paul, who had been watching
the flight, accused Captain Ault, the sextant man, of looking in
the wrong direction and of reading altitudes that were far too
low. It turned out that the theodolite had gotten side-tracked
to Venus, and the difference between its altitudes of 76° and the
altitudes by sextant of 45°, could no longer be ignored. On the
second occasion, both observers got side-tracked to Venus."
It is remarkable how closely a white balloon floating at a great
height resembles the planet in the sunshine of the late morning
or early afternoon. For most of us it was a great surprise to know
that Venus could be seen at all in the middle of the day. Captain
Ault told us that he had occasionally used this planet for deter-
mining geographical position at sea. This trick appears to have
been known to mariners of former times, but has fallen out of use.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 227
On February 8, Soiile and Leyer moved the sonic depth-finder
from the radio laboratory to the control-room on the quarter-deck.
This was done to enable us to take additional night soundings
without disturbing Jones who slept in the radio room. Paul had
learned the technique of using the apparatus and now took a
sounding after he had completed his Greenwich Mean Noon
meteorological observations. Jones had by this time resumed a
large number of schedules with amateur radio stations and had
to get his sleep whenever he could, for he had regular magnetic
observations and computations to do in the daytime.
For the first ten days out of port we had noticed an unusual
display of "sunspots." These solar disturbances seem to have
an effect on radio and magnetic conditions. When our scientific
results are analyzed, it will be interesting to see how closely
sunspot-numbers are correlated with magnetic and radio condi-
tions as measured on board.
On February 12, with a slight sea running and bright sunlight
shining on the sails, Parkinson and Paul were dropped over the
side in the dinghy to secure pictures of the vessel under way.
Splashing and diving through the waves like a porpoise, the little
boat made several circles about the ship while she was held "by
the wind." They stayed out long enough to take a few shots
after the sails were shortened for the oceanographic station which
followed.
It was not our habit to play practical jokes on each other, but
Soule was made the victim of one about this time. Smith, our
Chief Clerk in Washington, had sent the staff a ten-pound cake
of milk chocolate for Christmas. Captain Ault had cut it into
eight pieces and had put one of these in each observer's cabin.
Soule came down to his room soon afterwards and found the
strange brown bar on his desk. Not being able to decide what
it was, he asked his next door neighbor. He was told promptly
that it was salt-water soap. The jest worked perfectly; for at
his next shower-bath he used it to work up a lather!
While sailing in latitude 15° south, and longitude 98° west,
the sea deepened suddenly from 2,700 meters to 5,380 meters,
and soon after shoaled again to 3,400 meters. The new deep
228 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
thus revealed was named after Dr. Bauer, the Director of our De-
partment in Washington. Throughout the voyage from Peru
to Tahiti, the bottom was found to be very irreguhir. Echoes
from as many as six surfaces on the bottom would be returned
from a single signal of the oscillator.
Although the depth-finder had been giving good service since
the repairs had been made in Peru, certain parts were beginning
to show signs of wear. So Soule gave it a complete overhauling
and replaced several parts, including a new set of brushes.
The bottom-sampling was never more successful than on this
leg of the cruise. A specimen was collected from virtually every
oceanographic station. The samples represented almost every
type of mud, sand, and ooze, with an occasional piece of lava.
The colors were also various; there being white, grey, brown,
bluish-green, chocolate, and black among them. The only fail-
ure to recover a specimen was due to the sample being washed
out of the snapper while it was being brought back to the surface.
The jaws were closed as usual and showed signs of having been
on the bottom. Captain Ault considered fitting the sampler
with a rubber apron; but the infrequency with which this particu-
lar difficulty was met with made him decide against further com-
plicating the apparatus.
The full moon and glorious weather made the evenings delight-
ful. Our sporadic efforts to produce vocal harmony on the quar-
ter-deck were revived. Someone had discovered that Aage Hen-
ricksen, one of the seamen, had a note-book filled with sea-songs.
Many of the old sea-chanteys were there, but were buried in a
mass of unsingable ditties picked up on the water-fronts of the
world.
On these nights it was usual to hear strange buzzing noises
emanating from Parkinson's electric laboratory. He expected
to leave the vessel in Australia to return tothe Watheroo Magnetic
Observatorv. A short-wave radio set had been installed there
and he was learning to operate such a set in his few spare moments
on board. He had ordered a small apparatus from the United
States which gave one practice in reading Morse code. The out-
fit was received in Peru and he was now learning to read fast
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
229
enough to take down news-broadcasts sent through short-wave
stations.
The trade- winds had been more southerly than expected. We
anticipated difficulty in clearing the Tuamotu Group of islands,
and decided to head directly through them. This was of ad-
vantage in many respects for our scientific work. It would also
enable us to make up for the two weeks we had lost in reaching
Peru. So, early on the morning of March 7, we skirted the reefs
'^W^
'fnf\
The Boat-harbor of Amanu Island
These tiny vessels collect the copra from the various parts of the atoll to sell to the oc-
casional trading-schooner that calls their way.
of Tatakoto Island. From a note on our chart we had not ex-
pected to find it inhabited; but soon we saw a few brown bodies
scampering through the trees, headed toward a flag-pole set in a
break of vegetation. Another moment, and the red, white, and
blue of France was proudly displayed — whether as a warning
or as an invitation, we did not stop to discover.
For many of us this was the first view of a south-sea island.
At daybreak it was no more than a long, thin line of dark-green
SSO THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
on the horizon. The Island is one mile wide, nine miles long,
only fifteen feet high, and is covered with rich groves of coconut
trees. All through the night while we were approaching, and
throughout the morning as we sailed away, the sonic depth-finder
was kept at work mapping out a bottom-profile. The slope was
very steep for there was a depth of 900 meters under us when we
were only two miles off shore. These soundings were made to de-
termine the shape of the rocky pedestal on which these islands rest.
Captain Ault announced that he planned to allow a few hours
for a visit to one of these islands. So we picked out from the
chart what we thought would be a fair sample of these unspoiled
coral atolls; and on the next day hove-to off Amanu. There was
an exciting struggle to gain an entrance to the lagoon against the
ebbing tide which poured through the narrow channel. The out-
board motor of the dinghy would gain a few yards against the
current only to lose it all when the little boat entered an eddy.
However anxious we were to make a landing, we were all fasci-
nated by the magnificent coral bottom beneath the dinghy. One
must see with his own eyes the beauty of form and color displayed
by these coral reefs to appreciate what we saw.
We found no white man on Amanu; but about three hundred
happy, healthy natives. They were living on the products of
their little garden-patches and from the sale of dried copra to the
occasional trading-schooner that passed their way. To many
of us this visit will remain a vivid memory; we found ourselves
for the first time among the light-hearted, generous Polynesian
people, so famed in song and story.
Scott went off in a dugout to the lagoon to try his hand at pearl-
fishing. The rest of the staff ambled about the village taking
moving-pictures or exchanging gifts and smiles. Paul had the
good fortune to receive an exquisite shell "lei," an ornamental
hat-band made of thousands of tiny shells, arranged in a beau-
tiful color pattern. These, we found later, are rarely picked up
by voyagers — they are ordinarily given to a young man by a
maiden as a symbol of betrothal. While we were wandering
about we saw several of the great green turtles which the natives
prize so highly for food.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
231
^
Captain Ault Pays His Respects to the Native Chief of Amanu
Our first "south sea" island.
232 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The cemetery of Amanu was a village in itself. The graves
are thoughtfully enclosed in small coral huts, or are covered by
iron roofing, as though to protect the dead from the scorching
sun and tropical showers.
Before we returned to our ship, we were assembled in the vil-
lage school, a fine white-plastered building decorated with mural
paintings of poilus and with mottoes, such as "Vive la France."
A great heap of coconuts was stacked on the floor which had been
collected for us to take back to the ship. At this convocation
we observed the love of oratory found among the islanders through-
out the Pacific. Captain Ault had discovered a native who spoke
English, and with him as an interpreter, he returned the courteous
remarks of the old native chief.
We were gaily escorted back to the ship by a motley assort-
ment of canoes, row-boats, and barges, laden deep with our good
natured friends-of-a-moment. On the quarter-deck we put on a
dance with the help of our victrola. At four o'clock orders were
given to get under way and our guests departed. The old chief
was the last to leave, in a dugout manned by two strong boys.
Since entering the Tuamotu Group we had encountered a
steady succession of calms, light breezes, and violent rain-squalls.
Our little engine was having its innings. We passed many islands
during the week following our call at Amanu. Hao, the largest
of the lot, was sighted from the rigging; while Tekokota, Marokau,
Hikueru, and Mehetia were visible from the deck. The moonless
nights prevented a view of Reitoru and Anaa, although we passed
quite close.
With calm water and with the engine running it was possible
to use the boom- walk frequently. With dip-nets we scooped up
many interesting forms of surface-life. The most diiEcult crea-
ture to capture was the little marine insect, holobates, which darted
here and there over the surface. It is the only insect that lives
its life at sea.
On the afternoon of March 12, we found it very hard to stay
below deck. Everyone was anxious to get the first sight of
Tahiti. However, the clouds concealed the peaks of the Island
all day. While running in toward land that night, we experienced
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
233
Our First Drink of Coconut-water
The natives of Amanu enjoyed our visit almost as much as we did for there are no
white men on the atoll.
,>.-W<'K'-
^iF'
Boatload of Native Guests Leaving the Harbor of Amanu for a
Visit to the Carnegie
234 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
one of those cloudbursts characteristic of the tropics. There was
no moon, and the darkness was so intense that it suggested Hquid
tar. Then, Httle by httle, two rounded black masses became visi-
ble off our port bow. Surely they were clouds. Soundings
showed that we must have drifted southward of our intended
course, so we steered more to the north. About midnight it be-
came apparent that the black masses we had seen were in reality
parts of the island we were seeking. The flickering lights of the
fishing-villages soon confirmed this.
Shortly afterwards, we opened up the lighthouse on Venus
Point, and hove to to await dawn. By ten o'clock the vessel
was moored at Papeete, her bow toward the sea, and her stern
almost within the front yard of the American Consulate.
With the flurry blown over which was caused by the arrival of
letters from home, we were all eager for a taste of the famous
cordiality offered by Tahiti. Here we found a town where social
distinctions are vague, race or religious prejudices absent, and
formalities happily dispensed with. It was well for us that this
was so, for we had but a few days in which to pack a host of new
impressions.
Automobiles were at our disposal, so it did not take long for
our party to disperse over the Island : some went to look up old
acquaintances; others to tramp in the jungle-clad mountains or
along the winding beach-roads; some were content simply to loll
about the town, or found their pleasure in picture-taking and
visiting the homes of the numerous foreign writers or artists who
have fled here to live life as they dreamed it.
The atmosphere of the Island is one of amused tolerance for
genius and dullness alike. We found little evidence of a legalized
morality. Temperance is achieved not by ordinance, but by an
unconscious realization that any appetite run wild soon cloys.
Life here holds no terrors for the half-caste or for the child of
divorce, as it does elsewhere. The heavy work of the community
is done by Chinese, who mingle freely with the populace without
being stifled by a sense of inferiority, and who are encouraged to
retain their own customs.
Native life does not much resemble that of the time of James
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
235
Cook or La Perouse, although true Polynesian hospitality has
survived. As in other islands, we found that the women, not the
men, are the chief smokers. The girls are as much at home
fishing for octopus under the waters of the reef, as they are on a
dance-floor. The ukulele (literally, "jumping-fiea") is part of the
household equipment. This little instrument now found the
world over is said to have been invented by a Harvard student,
and first introduced in Hawaii. If so, it may be classed as one
SouLE, Jones, Scott, and Torreson Visit the "Transit-of- Venus Monument" near
Papeete
The famous navigator, James Cook, was commissioned to observe the transit of Venus
at Tahiti in 1769.
of the most important contributions of the white man to the
Polynesian peoples.
The days in Papeete were by no means lazy ones for us. Cap-
tain Ault used the diving-helmet to inspect the hull of the vessel
and to repair the torn sheathing. Paul was engaged in arranging
hospital treatment and transportation for Henricksen, a seaman
whose health had been failing for several weeks. Others of the
staff took a hand in the stowing of provisions which had been
236 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
sent down from San Francisco. A new Coast Survey type of
sounding-apparatus had to be installed, customs-formalities re-
quired attention, and the apparatus aboard must be cleaned and
repaired for the voyage to Samoa. Seiwell made a short trip
inland to collect fresh-water plankton from the lakes. Soule
availed himself of the break in oceanographic routine by making
some changes in the electrical salinity-outfit.
Among the many excursions made by members of our party
were a visit to Cook's monument at Venus Point, and a circular
tour of the Island by automobile. Readers will recall that James
Cook was commissioned by the British Crown to observe the
transit of Venus at Tahiti in his first voyage in the Endeavour
(1768-1771). These observations were successfully made on a
high point of land not far from Papeete, and a bronze tablet now
commemorates the event. The automobile route along the coasts
of Tahiti must be classed as one of the most magnificent in the
world. Jagged peaks, tinted coral beaches, palm-groves, pic-
turesque waterfalls, and bold lava-cliffs, are passed in panorama,
with the resounding surf of the fringing reefs and the outlines of
the neighboring islands in the distance.
During the drive several halts were made at the homes of
various members of the local community. The visits at Dr.
Williams' and at Major Hawkins' were among the most delightful.
Dr. Williams has long been a resident here and is now the British
Consul. Major Hawkins, who proved to be a hearty host, lives
in a house previously occupied by Gouverneur Morris, the author.
These men have lived unique lives and have each developed his
own philosophy from a life of travel.
Among those who entertained us in Papeete were Governor and
Madame Bouge; Sir and Lady Skip with; and Mr. Dobson from
the United States. We attempted to return the courtesies of all
these people by giving a party on board. The Victrola did its
best to furnish music for dancing. There were about one-hundred
guests so that the quarter-deck was more than filled to capacity.
While in port we had many occasions to call on Oscar Nordman
to furnish us with automobiles and to arrange for our deck-party.
He was at one time cabin-boy on the Galilee and was now operating
a hotel and garage in Papeete.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
237
In the midst of all these festivities we received the sad news
that Parkinson's father had died. He had been ill ever since our
visit to England at which time Parkinson had gone to his bedside.
Just before leaving Papeete, an elaborate beach party was
arranged in our honor by the members of the local "Society for
Polynesian Studies," of which Father Rougier was president. A
dinner in the ancient Tahitian manner included such delicacies
as broiled "centipedes" and "castor-oil fish." No wine was
Fisherman's Hut on the Island of Tahiti
Very little is seen today of the old Tahitian ways of life, the island having become
cosmopolitan.
served at the table of honor, in deference to the feelings of the
American Consul, who never missed an opportunity of telling
these people what they should drink. When it came time for
the toasts one of the speakers at this table inadvertently began
by saying: "I lift my glass — ." Captain Ault, with a twinkle
in his eye nudged him and suggested he begin again with: "I
lift my coconut — ."
Moving-pictures were next on the program. These showed
scenes on Christmas Island, which is owned by Father Rougier.
238 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
These were followed by the piece-de-resistance of the evening:
a theatrical performance arranged by a professional dramatist,
featuring some hilarious scenes of life in Papeete. Native songs
and dances were interspersed throughout the festival; and an
orchestra tuned up for the dance which closed the entertainment.
On the afternoon of March 10 we reluctantly set sail from the
charming port of Papeete, all hands reporting for duty. Not
many vessels leave this seductive spot without desertions on the
part of the crew. We had, however, signed on a Tahitian sailor,
Benjamin Tehau, to replace Henricksen.
We sailed past the magnificent island of Moorea, behind which
we had seen the sun set in splendor throughout our stay in port.
But the wind hauled ahead, and we were obliged to pass Huahine
and Raiatea to the north. Then followed a week of calms and
light airs, during which we fitfully made our way westward
towards Samoa. We were alternately pushed ahead by our little
engine, and bowled over the smooth sea by bracing the yards to
catch the short wind-squalls that swept down on us from every
direction. The easterly trades were picked up for only four
days during this passage.
The usual routine of magnetic, electric, and oceanographic
work was carried on, with the exception of the bottom-sampling.
Repeated attempts to use the new Coast and Geodetic Survey
sounding-apparatus resulted only in the loss of many samplers
and thermometers. We found that the machine was not suitable
for use on a small vessel which rolled so noticeably when sails
were shortened for sounding. The floating-drum, mounted
athwartships, had to be continuously manipulated between clutch
and brake to control the speed of paying out. These sudden
changes of tension would part the piano-wire, not made to with-
stand such severe strains. It had been hoped that this apparatus
would save power and time by making the bottom-sampling inde-
pendent of the main winch. Later on experiments with the new
machine were resumed, but with little success.
The almost constant use of the main engine resulted in a burned-
out bearing on March 24. But by now the trades were blowing,
and as we sailed past Mopihaa Island, the engine-room gang were
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
239
busily engaged in casting and polishing. On March 26 we were
startled by a loud explosion in the engine-room. One of the air-
tanks had blown up. The end had smashed its way through the
bulkhead into the gasoline tank-room, while the tank itself jumped
aft, out of its cradle, and landed against the air-compressor. For-
tunately the mechanic on duty was uninjured, and no equipment
was too seriously damaged for immediate temporary repairs.
The accident was apparently due to weakness in the tank, as the
safety-valve was in good working order.
Tahiti Has a Magnificent Coast-line
An automobile road encircles the island — the peaks of Moorea are seen to the right.
During the night of March 28, a sudden squall carried away the
starboard royal-sheet, and through the din of the heavy rain on
the deck, we could hear the sailors aloft making fast the damaged
rigging. The next day we succeeded in following a j^ilot-balloon
for over seventy minutes. This represents an altitude of almost
eight miles, certainly a good record for a small vessel like the
Carnegie.
On March 31 we passed the uninhabited Rose Island, the eastern
outpost of the Samoan Islands. This tiny speck in the archipelago
240
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
is remarkable because it is the only coral atoll in the group. Every
year the Navy tug from Pago Pago calls here to replenish the sup-
plies of food and water kept here for emergency use by ship-
wrecked sailors. By dawn the following day the peak of Tau
was made out on the starboard bow. It was a great disappoint-
ment to us all that there would be no opportunity for visiting this
sacred island-home of the old Samoan kings. From here migrated
whole fleets of sea-going canoes, to populate other so-called Poly-
Inlet near Taravao, Island of Tahiti
The great quantities of rain falling on the mountains in the interior supply innumerable
waterfalls.
nesian islands so far away as Hawaii. It was because of these
remarkable feats of seamanship that the Samoan Group was once
called "Navigators' Islands." One marvels that a small open
canoe ever reached its destination, in the absence of some appara-
tus for determining position at sea.
By nightfall we were pushing our bow into the dense shadows
of Tutuila, whose harbor, Pago Pago, is known as the finest in
the South Pacific. Hardly had we picked up the two range-lights,
which a ship must keep in line to safely enter the channel, when
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
241
a scene of utmost confusion was spread before us. The night
was so black that we could barely make out the outlines of the
towering crater-rim which forms the harbor. To further baffle us,
A Group of Samoan Chieftains
The houses and grounds are always immaculate — there is no furniture inside the
for one sits, sleeps, and eats on mats spread over the pebble-floor.
"f„i„ '»
'fale.
the water was covered with a steamy mist that made our search-
light more than useless in trying to pick up the mooring-buoys.
But worst of all, the whole harbor was covered with short strings
242
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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243
of evenly spaced lights. These gave the effect of lighted piers
running in absurd fashion out into the bay at all angles, and in
places crossing the main channel itself. We found later that these
were fishing-canoes tied bow to stern, each carrying a lantern or
torch.
In an attempt to clear these unexpected obstructions, we were
within an ace of piling up on the jagged coral head of Aua Reef,
when amidst warning shouts of natives ashore, the loud voice of
A Samoan House under Construction
These houses which look so simple when completed are really very complicated as no
nails are used and the thousands of joints being made with sennit, a string braided from
coconut-husk fibers — the view is from Churchill.
the naval boarding officer who had rushed out in his launch, gave
the command "to port." So "to port" went the helm, swinging
our bow to starboard as with every good sailing-ship. Unhappily,
in the Navy the command means "head the ship to port," the
exact opposite. Only the fact that we had good steerage-way,
and that our vessel was so short, prevented what seemed an in-
evitable shipwreck; for only a few yards away lay the reef to our
right.
244
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Once safely moored we lost no time in getting ashore, for this
was "movie night" at the Naval Station, and the officers had
generously invited us to attend. But to some, the invitation of
the charming roads leading to the native villages was more al-
luring. Here they found Samoan houses, called fales, like gigantic
mushrooms, cosily clustered together near the water, each lit
The Interior of a Samoan "Fale"
Showing the pebble-floor and the graceful lines of the roof — a Samoan pillow holds the
center of the stage.
with a single kerosene lamp set on the pebble-floor. Around the
lamp the family lay sleeping or sewing or singing; for built as they
are without walls, these houses allow little protection from the
gaze of the curious passer-by.
From each fale, in turn, came an invitation to enter. We were
to find these people as hospitable as the Tahitians. Once inside
the circle of pillars that support the eaves of the overgrown roof,
and seated on the floor with the rest of the family, we were offered
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 245
as a refreshment coconut-water drunk from the nut itself. We
were shown fine examples of bark-cloth, or "siapu," which is put
to so many uses on these islands. And there was a kava-bowl,
deftly carved from a single block of wood, in which the national
beverage is prepared. On the edge of the circle sat an old man
polishing a war-club with a piece of broken glass, doubtless for
sale as a souvenir to some tourist passing through on the next
steamer. So passed our first evening in Samoa, smiling and
chatting with these happy, hearty people, or following the ad-
ventures of a movie star on the screen at the station theatre.
The following day was spent on board, for the most part. There
were letters to read, reports to prepare, provisions to buy, and calls
to make on the officers of the station. Commander Baughman
was an old friend of Captain Ault. They had met in Washington
when the Navy Department was preparing its first pilot-chart
for the upper air. So during our short stay in Pago Pago, Captain
Ault lived with the Baughmans.
The Naval Dispensary was kind enough to allow us the use of
their equipment for replenishing our low stock of distilled water,
which was used in chemical work aboard. The privileges of the
Commissary were offered, and from their cold storage we with-
drew rich cream, and meats from Australia, vegetables and fruits
from California — welcome fare indeed for a ship which must subsist
chiefly on canned goods.
During the remaining two days of our stay gasoline and other
stores were taken aboard, while the staff prepared the mail for
forwarding to headquarters, or collected biological specimens on
the reefs. We were later to become better acquainted with the
infinite variety and gorgeous coloration of the life under the waters
of this magnificent harbor.
The evenings were as full as the days. Naval oflScers arranged
bridge-parties or tennis-matches. Swimming was superb in the
balmy waters of the bay. To demonstrate that our life in the
tropics had not melted away all ambition, Soule and Diefenderfer,
the director of education for American Samoa, swam the whole
length of the harbor, a distance of about three miles. But night
was generally the occasion for strolls or for attending native dances
24G
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Samoan Boy Dressed for a "Siva-siva" Dance
His beads are made of the briglit red fruit of Capsicum — the pillars of the house are
decorated with the green leaves of the coconut palm.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
247
called "siva-sivas." Some of these dances were quite elaborate
affairs, where the whole village would join in the merriment.
In the Samoan dance, the hands and arms perform most intri-
cate motions, chiefly symbolic; whereas the body and feet play
A Samoan Chief Dressed for the "Knife-dance"
This dance is little more than an exhibition of marvelous juggling. (From Kramer.
'Die Samoa Inseln.")
a distinctly minor role. The face maintains a stolid expression
which might almost be called sullen, except that a short acquaint-
ance shows it to mean peace and quiet dignity. A great circle
is formed by the spectators, and within this the performers take
turns. A small band of guitar and ukulele players furnish the
248 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
accompaniment. Each "verse" is begun by a melancholy high-
pitched voice in the gathering, and everyone joins in a chorus in
which the rhythm is accentuated by general clapping of hands or
thumping of floor-mats.
The most spectacular part of the program is the "knife-dance,"
performed by one or two of the young men. They step out into
the circle, tattoed limbs glistening with coconut-oil, ankles trimmed
with leaves, heads adorned with flowers, and their necks surrounded
with a string of boar's tusks. The appalling head-knife gyrates
dangerously, as it is juggled from hand to hand.
These dances display to best advantage the handsome, cafe-
au-lait bodies of the young Samoan men and girls, kept so trim
in youth by work in the hillside plantations, and fishing on the
reefs. Unfortunately, as they assume the more sedentary duties
of chieftainship or motherhood, they quickly become obese.
Before leaving port we held a reception on board for the naval
officers and their families. We took this opportunity for demon-
strating some of the equipment, including a pilot-balloon flight.
But on April 5, the time had come for us to move on to Apia
in British Samoa, where long days of magnetic and electric ob-
servations on shore awaited us. Leaving the exquisite harbor of
Pago Pago in mid-afternoon allowed us to skirt the southern and
western coasts during sunset. Between us and the irregular
peaks of Tutuila lay a jagged coast on which the thundering surf
filled the air with salt-spray. Great blow-holes spouted forth
their columns of water as the long rolling swells swept in. Here
and there an indentation disclosed a fishing- village on the beach,
where a Samoan long-boat was being cautiously eased out of the
troubled waters of the cove by its twenty or more oars, laden with
taro and bananas for the city-dwellers of Pago Pago. Looking
across our port bow we could just distinguish the rounded outline
of the island of Upolu, on which Apia stands. The two islands
are only some forty miles apart, so that by dawn we were standing-
by outside the port awaiting the pilot.
After the usual calls had been made, the party turned to on the
various duties assigned them. Arrangements were made at the
Apia Magnetic Observatory for comparisons of the electric and
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
249
magnetic equipment, and suitable sites were chosen for establish-
ing shore-stations. This work required the continuous attention
of several observers for the greater part of a week. Repairs to
the vessel were begun. The new sounding-machine was modified
to hold more piano- wire. Rigging was set up and tarred down.
The new Nansen bottles from Norway had arrived and were
prepared for use. Specimens of marine life were obtained from
the bottom of the harbor and on the reefs. Chemical solutions
The Beautiful Grounds of the Magnetic Observatory at Apia
The instruments of the Carnegie were compared with those here just as they were in
Germany, Peru, and Japan.
for the next stretch had to be standardized. All in all, busy days
under a searing sun, without the relief afforded by the trade-
winds, which set in only during our last day in port.
The site chosen for the comparison of the potential-gradient
apparatus, was located on the reef just outside the Observatory
grounds. Unfortunately for Parkinson, the reef was covered with
water at times, and he was obliged to roll up his trousers while
he stood at the instrument. The experience all but confined him
to bed for the remainder of the stay ; for he received a merciless
sunburn about the legs and ankles.
250
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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252 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
We found in Apia the same cordiality on the part of the towns-
folk that featured our visits everywhere. The hospital staff and
Government officers, as well as the many members of the com-
mercial community, went out of their way to make us feel at
home. We were invited to visit several interesting plantations;
tours of the Island were arranged for Sunday, and tennis- and
badminton-matches all helped to offer us relaxation.
Some of the plantations near Apia were fascinating studies to
those of us who had never seen cocoa, coffee, teak, rubber, and
tropical fruits grown on a large scale before. We saw the whole
process of cocoa-bean harvesting from the tree, through the fer-
mentation and drying to the export sacks. The labor employed
in collecting the rubber latex and coconuts is chiefly Chinese, since
the Samoans are not anxious to work for a money wage and are
not very steady workers. Here and there one comes across a
black Solomon Islander who is employed on the plantation.
Several excursions were made by members of the party, which
were noteworthy. One, a sunrise visit to the tomb of Robert
Louis Stevenson on Mount Vaea, which required a long climb
beginning at three in the morning. Besides seeking the mag-
nificent view obtained at dawn from this point, there was
another good reason for choosing such an early hour — brisk
walking would be practically impossible in the intense heat which
envelops the Island when the sun is high. Other trips included
Vailima, Stevenson's estate, now occupied by the Governor;
Malololelei rest-house, high up on the mountain behind Apia;
various waterfalls, and native villages along the coast.
On the evening before sailing. Captain Ault and Paul were
invited to spend a night in Solo Solo, one of the largest, purely
Samoan, villages. After a long drive along the coast they were
challenged by an outpost stationed at the entrance to the village.
A few words from the driver and they were admitted to what
proved to be a hotbed of rebel activity. It is in this village that
about sixty chieftains have retired to escape punishment by the
British authorities for failure to pay taxes and for preaching re-
sistance to the New Zealand Administrator. Here they are cared
for by the natives without having having to do a stroke of work.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
253
They sit in a great fale, drink kava, make interminable speeches
to each other and watch the "siva-siva" dancing of the young
folks. Truly, the life of Reilley.
They were very gracious to us and gave us a supper in old
Samoan style before treating us to the inevitable exhibition of
dancing and singing. A kava-ceremony with much display of
oratory had been held for us on our arrival. We were afraid
Gigantic Banyan Tree near Apia
This tree is passed on the road to VaiHma, Stevenson's famous estate.
these people would interpret our visit as a sign of sympathy in
their anti-government agitation. They were very flattering to
our country in its administration of American Samoa and implied
that they desired to see Western Samoa in the same hands.
Their preoccupation with political matters extended to every
detail of the singing and dancing. Extemporaneous poems were
composed for the occasion, mostly symbolic, and extolling the
audience to rebellion. After a few hours of this we begged for a
chance to retire for we were to leave port next day
254
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
On the day before we sailed, Oscar, the cook, was thrown from
a horse, dislocating his shoulder. Fortunately, he was not far
from the hospital, where he was cared for until the vessel sailed.
With our scientific program completed, we made our arrange-
ments for departure, and on April 20 set our course northwest
towards Guam by way of Wake Island. We were to sail short-
handed because Seiwell, who had been in charge of the biological
and chemical program, returned from Apia to the United States.
Collecting Biological Specimens on the Reef at Low Tide, Apia
The apparatus for determining the electrical potential gradient of the atmosphere
was set up on this reef.
Paid was then designated to carry on this work until Graham
joined the ship in San Francisco.
While at breakfast the first morning out from Apia, a sailor
shouted through the cabin-skylight that two stowaways had been
found in the forepeak, a dark imventilated storage-space in the
bow of the ship. When Captain Aidt came on deck they begged
to be allowed to work on board without pay — even offered to
swim back to Apia, a distance of sixty -five miles, to avoid going
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
^^)5
to jail. But Captain Aiilt gave orders to put back to port, since
we had no room on board for two extra hands, and since returning
them from Guam would be very expensive. The boys were set
to work cleaning the winch and polishing brass until late after-
Shark
These sharks furnished good steaks and were a happy liunting ground for the biologist.
noon, when they were locked up to prevent their jumping over-
board to swim for land in waters infested with sharks.
We hoisted signals for the pilot-boat to come out for the stow-
aways and just after sunset they were put over the side. As the
256 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
little launch sped away a voice was heard in the distance shouting
"Thanks for the buggy-ride, Captain!" The incident cost us
a day and a half of precious time, and a considerable quantity of
gasoline. We later heard that the youngsters had hatched the
plan carefully, after getting a hint from a movie. They had even
rehearsed the act the night previous to our departure so that
no hitch would occur in their hiding in the forepeak. They were
driven from their lair by the stifling odors of the locker. One of
these boys had twice previously begged Captain Ault for a job
on board, but had been refused.
And so we turned the ship about to catch the trade-wind which
had begun to spring up, and headed again towards the Union
Islands on our way to Guam.
The return to Apia with the stowaways at least brought us a
fair wind, although it had been expensive of gasoline. Jones had
taken advantage of the delay by building a new amplifier, using
the transformers received in Pago Pago. Paul started spring
housecleaning in the laboratory. Parkinson set up his table on
deck for the tedious task of replacing defective silver-chloride
cells, hundreds of which were used in the atmospheric-electric
batteries.
The first oceanographic station was occupied on the morning
of April 2'2. The sounding-machine, which had been remodeled
to hold six thousand meters of piano-wire, was given a trial;
but this time the control-handle broke. After one more attempt
to use this machine for bottom-sampling, it was discarded; for
again we lost a "snapper" by the parting of the wire during a
sudden roll of the vessel.
At the station on April 24, a much more serious loss of equip-
ment was narrowly averted. The heart strands on our aluminum-
bronze wire, which was used to lower the reversing Nansen bottles,
broke in seven or eight places. This wire had been in use since
leaving Panama, and apparently had become invisibly corroded.
It was necessary to discard about twenty-seven hundred meters.
Had this wire completely parted, we should have lost many hun-
dred dollars worth of instruments, and should have been seriously
handicapped until replacements could be made from Europe.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
257
On the morning of April 28 we picked up the northeast trades
which blew without interruption until we reached Guam. We
celebrated this event by catching a fairly large shark. Excellent
steaks were served that night. Almost everyone on board had
A "Snapper" Type of Bottom-sampler
Equipped with trigger-device and detachable lead weights which may be left on the
bottom thus saving considerable power on hauling in the sample.
a hand in the killing. Paul collected several bottles of parasites
from the skin, including the little sucker-fish remora, and hundreds
of tiny crustaceans marvelously adapted to their life upon the
host. The stomach was searched, but only a few large feathers
258 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
and a fish's eye were recovered. Tony, the cabin-boy, collected
some teeth, which he cleaned for souvenirs.
During the oceanographic station on this day we had to repeat
the deep-series of water-bottles, because the messenger which
was sent down the wire to reverse them had become caught by
the tentacles of some marine animal like a jellyfish. This crea-
ture had plagued us before and we were to meet him again and
again. While we were at work on deck someone noticed smoke
rising from the roof of the electrical laboratory. It was discovered
that a distilled water-bottle had acted as a lens and had set fire
to a towel. We at once made canvas covers for the bottles to
prevent a more serious accident in the future.
But May 2 was a blue-letter day in our calendar. Seven hours
elapsed in collecting our samples, instead of the usual three. The
surging of the vessel in the rough sea fouled the piano-wire and
bottle-series. To untangle them we were forced to sacrifice two
thousand meters of the wire. Not content with this setback.
Father Neptune had more tricks up his sleeve, and the deep-series
had to be repeated three times for various reasons — and all this
was in the rain.
To cheer us up after these discouragements a dinner was ar-
ranged for May 5, to celebrate our hundredth oceanographic
station and the end of one year at sea. The printed menu, giving
fanciful names to very familiar dishes, did its part to disguise the
fact that we were living by grace of the can-opener.
Crossing the 180th meridian took May 6 out of our log-book,
although there were two Greenwich mean noons on May 7.
The trade-winds we were now enjoying carried the pilot-bal-
loons out of sight in ten minutes or less. Although our supply
of hydrogen was low we tried tying two of them together to make
them visible for longer periods.
The fresh winds, together with the fairly strong currents in our
neighborhood, caused an excessive surface-drift of the vessel.
The angle of the bottom-sampling wire reached 75° from the verti-
cal on May 9; and Captain Ault decided to modify the method so
as to allow the use of two sixty-pound weights instead of one. But
it would use far more power than we could spare to bring these
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 259
weights back from the bottom. So a Sigsbee releasing-device
was removed from a sampling-tube and attached to our snapper
in such a way that when it touched bottom the weights would be
released and left down below. Unfortunately, when we first
tried the outfit the wire broke at a splice, due to the great strain
caused by so much weight. The method looked promising in
spite of this accident, and when we reached Guam we had some
suitable weights cast for this apparatus.
On May 11 the Carnegie approached treacherous Wake Island,
an isolated speck in the ocean only twenty -one feet high. On a
previous cruise the vessel might well have come to grief here.
The watch-officers could hear the surf half a mile away before the
Island itself was visible in the darkness; and only a prompt change
of course saved the ship. But with a steady wind and a brilliant
day we were able to pass within a quarter-mile of Peacock Point.
Our observations checked the position of the Island as given by
the U.S.S. Tanager expedition of 1913, and our own-dead reckoning
of 1915.
Here there are no coconut-trees, only low spreading shrubs.
Otherwise the Island is a typical coral atoll, with an exquisite
blue-green lagoon which could be easily seen from the rigging.
Innumerable sea-birds circled our masts as we passed by, but no
signs of human life could be made out ashore. We kept sharp
lookout for castaways, as the Island is seldom passed by ocean-
traffic. Captain Ault remarked that it might well be made a
sea-plane harbor in the future, because of its position midway
between Hawaii and Guam, and in a direct line between Los
Angeles and Manila,
Echo-soundings were made frequently as we approached and
departed, to secure more data on the shape of the pedestal on
which this isolated atoll rests. The whole stretch between Apia
and Guam was characterized by a very irregular bottom. Rapid
changes of three or four thousand meters in the depths were not
rare. On May 18 a sounding of 8,060 meters was obtained, show-
ing that we were crossing the northeast end of the famous Nero
Deep near Guam. The previous sounding of 2,900 meters was
only twenty miles away!
260
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
261
With the heavy rolHng of the vessel and with the high speeds
we were making, the extraneous water-noises in the microphones
of the depth-finder became very annoying — often obscuring the
echo entirely. Accordingly, we sent a radio message to the U. S.
Navy asking whether filter sections might not improve things.
They replied that a five-hundred-cycle filter might well end our
Chamorro Houses near Agana, Guam
Picturesque carabao or water-buffalo at work in the fields are seen as one drives over
the beautiful automobile roads.
difficulty and two of these were ordered by our headquarters in
Washington.
About this time a total eclipse of the sun was visible over this
part of the ocean but we were several days late in reaching the
proper zone. We had had so much cloudy and rainy weather
that it is doubtful whether we could have enjoyed the event in
any case.
On May 19 we had our first sight of the Mariana Islands, Rota
262 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
being visible during the morning and Guam itself appearing at
sunset. By sunrise we had arrived off the bold cliffs of Orote Point
at the entrance to Port Apra. The winds had been so fair that
we had covered almost four thousand miles in four weeks, in spite
of heaving to on alternate days for oceanographic work.
By properly apportioning the work we were able to accomplish
a considerable amount of work in our five-day visit here. Six
thousand meters of new aluminum-bronze wire was reeled on the
winch to replace the old. The chemical laboratory was repainted
— no easy task when all the complicated apparatus must be re-
moved and remounted. New lead weights were cast for the modi-
fied bottom-sampler. The main engine-exhaust required brazing.
Torn sheathing was repaired. Gasoline and provisions were
taken aboard. Water-tanks were filled. And a hundred odd
jobs about the ship kept the men busy.
Once the official calls had been made, those assigned to shore-
duty were able to pitch into their work. Captain Ault, Parkinson,
Scott, and Soule took part in the reoccupation of the Sumay mag-
netic station. Paul made a two-day trip with a native guide to
collect bird-specimens for the National Museum. Another day
was spent on the rich Luminao Reef. The commanding officer
of the marine sea-plane base generously furnished a launch and
necessary equipment for collecting the varied life found in these
waters.
The stay was all too brief. Governor and Mrs. Shapley, as
well as the whole Naval, Marine, and Cable Station personnel,
were very generous in their hospitality. Dances, bridge-parties,
and luncheons were arranged; and a memorable dinner at the
"Palace" was given in our honor. At this, dishes of native prod-
ucts were featured. It will take long to forget the heart-of-palm
salad, and that fresh coconut ice-cream. Throughout our visit
the local community had placed themselves and their cars at our
disposal; so that many of the hours ashore were spent in long
drives into the country, where we could observe the native life.
The people of Guam are called "Chamorros" and are a mixed
race in which the Malay strain is predominant. During the
centuries of Spanish control, these folk have absorbed many of
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
263
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THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
the gracious customs of this people as well as their blood. The
Catholic religion seems perfectly suited to them. One can best
compare these gentle friendly inhabitants to the Philippine Island-
A Chamorro Woman, Guam
She is wearing the characteristic dress of the native women.
ers. They, too, use the picturesque carabao, or water-buffalo,
as beast of burden and are fond of cock-fighting.
Among their many interesting customs may be mentioned the
licensing of coconut-trees as we do automobiles. For centuries
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
265
the natives have made a mildly intoxicating beverage from the
fresh sap of the coconut-tree. In order to discourage this prac-
tice and to preserve the trees for nut-bearing, the Government
allows each family to set aside one tree for making this drink.
The selected tree is issued a license, a simple band of metal; and
collecting sap from any other constitutes a punishable offense.
On one of our last evenings in port, the members of our party
were taken to Orote Point for an old-fashioned picnic, by the
Chart Showing Bottom-profile in the Vicinity of "Fleming Deep"
hospital staff. Swimming, light from a bonfire, real American
picnic-fare, and good fellowship made it a glorious event. The
chief excitement during the outing was a hermit-crab sweepstakes,
in which each person placed his favorite crab in the center of a
circle drawn in the sand and watched the very uncertain progress
of his steed to the periphery. Of course there was much friendly
wrangling over the non-starters. But a little singing of old-
fashioned songs brought peace to the family, and we returned under
266 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
a magnificent tropical moon. Never had the Carnegie looked so
beautiful as it did that night. The sails in their gaskets suggested
a heavy fall of snow on the yards.
After a visit to the ship by Governor Shapley and his party,
and after a reception had been held on board, we made our prepa-
rations for leaving. As Guam has very infrequent steamship-
service, we had offered to carry mail to Yokohama. So, on May
25, when the sacks were safely stowed, we set sail in a fair breeze
northward through the Mariana Islands to Japan.
On May 29, in 24° north and 144° east, we made the deepest
sounding of the cruise — 8,350 meters. This is about equivalent
to the height of Mount Everest. We named this new hole
"Fleming Deep" in honor of our Acting Director in Washington.
Only a few areas of the ocean-floor are known to be deeper than
this.
On the evening of May 31, all eyes were glued to the barograph
for the mercury was dropping steadily and we were in the region
of the famous "typhoons." By morning there was no doubt
about its meaning. The wind and sea had increased, and the
ship seemed to be shaking herself awake after her long peaceful
months in the tropics. Jones had been picking up daily reports
from the Manila Observatory, relayed through an amateur in
Guam; and he was able to plot the probable course of the storm-
center. The predicted path intersected our course; so at once
we headed east by south to draw away from the center. We
then hove-to while the wind moderated, and the barometer began
to climb. By noting the changes in the wind we were able to tell
when the storm had passed our course, and at once set sails to
"ride the tail of the typhoon" towards Yokohama. This was our
first experience in handling a storm by radio, and as Captain
Ault said, everything went like clockwork, just as predicted.
By nightfall on June 2 we were wallowing in the swells the
typhoon had kicked up and there was not a breath of wind to
steady the ship. The next day found us tacking back and forth
against a head -wind. The seas had torn away many pieces of
sheathing, so that we would have to do some repairing in Yoko-
hama.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
267
While we were in Guam we had secured a native flying-fox,
or "finihi," as a pet. This httle beast found the cool weather near
Japan intolerable and we had to kill it. It resembles a large bat
and subsists on tropical fruits such as papaya and bananas. They
become quite tame and make interesting pets, if somewhat
mischievous.
However, if we really needed more pets on board, little Lena,
our Easter Island kitten had grown up and was ready to supply
the deficiency. She presented us with nine tiny Easter Island
Japanese Fishing-boat, the Ichio-maru
This boat was met once after a typlioon near the Mariana Islands and again off the
east coast of Japan wliile we were "swinging ship" a month later.
half-castes about this time. Tom, the big Washington cat did
not seem the least interested in his offspring and left them to Lena
to bring up. He was far more interested in the fish the sailors
caught from the jib-boom or in the shark which was captured
about this time.
On June 4, just as we entered the Japan Stream, a Japanese
fishing-schooner came alongside, and with excited gestures and
much jabbering the crew tried to communicate with us. None
of them spoke English and we never found out what they wanted.
Some of us thought they were looking for a dory which might
268 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
have been lost in the typhoon. Others, that they wished to know
if we were fishing or if we had seen any whales. Three weeks
later, as were were "swinging ship" for compass-deviation off the
east coast of Japan on our way to San Francisco, this same vessel,
the Ichio Maru again came alongside, the crew this time wreathed
in smiles. Then we had to order them to stand clear for fear
that her iron and steel would interfere with the magnetic obser-
vations we were making.
None of us will forget the heart-breaking night of June 5. For
days we had worked prodigiously to whip our records into shape
for mailing so that we would not have to spend the first days in
port doing clerical work. We had hailed the sighting of Miyake
Island at sunset as a sign that we were only a few hours from an-
chorage in Tokyo Bay. Most of the party stayed up until the
reflected rays from Nojima Zaki Light were seen; for this Light
was on the southeast point of the mainland. But the barometer
had a story to tell. For several hours it had been steeply gliding
downward — but were we not within fifteen miles of the bay.''
At one-thirty in the morning conditions became so threatening
that there was nothing to do but heave to awaiting developments.
By three-thirty we were forced to turn tail and beat our way back
to the open sea in the face of a rising gale; for we were far too close
to shore to weather another typhoon. For five hours the game
little engine fought the increasing wind and waves, in our dash
for deep water. But it soon became too rough and the vessel
was compelled to heave to only twenty miles off shore. We had
nothing to do now but to ride it out, hoping that the Japan Stream
would help us clear the coast which threatened to the north. All
this time the barometer continued to drop, the wind became more
violent and the vessel did her best to dip her yards in the seething
sea. The first sail to go was the fore topmast-staysail. Then
with a loud report went the main-staysail. The next damage was
the loss of a scupper-door which was ripped off when we shipped
an unusually big sea. Luckily no masts or stays were broken.
On a previous cruise the gallant mast snapped and caused con-
siderable trouble.
But by noon the barometer steadied, the wind shifted to west-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
269
ward and we knew that the second typhoon was safely out-ma-
neuvered. Had we pushed on into the bay during the night, we
would have met the storm head-on in the uncomfortably narrow
waters of Tokyo Bay; a radio message informed us that it passed
ten miles to the northward. After the usual "eye" of the storm
had passed, during which a dead calm prevails, we took advantage
of the northeast wind that followed, and headed once more for
The Carnegie Hove-to after a Storm
Waiting for the sea to moderate.
the entrance. No stars were visible to determine our position, but
a mail-steamer, bound for Yokohama, came along and enabled
us to improve our course. Racing to the entrance at ten knots
with a booming breeze we were now forced to tack against a
strong head-wind up the bay. Almost nine hours were required
for this short stretch and we had to anchor outside the breakwater
till morning. We lay within a few yards of the spot where our
former magnetic survey -ship, the Galilee, was blown aground and
sunk by a typhoon in 1906.
270
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
By noon of the next day we were safely moored inside the break-
water, and our round of port duties had commenced. Because we
Two Japanese Flappers
Their English was a Japanese version of American slang.
were a week behind schedide it was decided to shorten our stay
in Japan to two weeks. Arrangements had been made for our
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
271
twenty -fifth anniversary celebration in San Francisco ; so we must
not be late for that. Then, there was another reason for getting
to the United States on time. As Captain Ault stated in a letter
to the Office in Washington: "The necessity for scientific con-
ferences, visits back and forth, inspection of equipment on board,
and intercomparisons (or the magnetic and electric instruments
with those on shore) made it rather difficult to find time for much-
Magxetic Observatory at Kakioka, Japan
While comparing our instruments here the observers enjoyed a real earthquake.
needed relaxation." Such a rest could much better be taken at
home than in a foreign port.
Throughout our visit, the party was shown every courtesy and
attention by the Japanese, many of whom were scientific colleagues
or former acquaintances. Paul had the good fortune to meet his
father who was in Japan on business at the time.
Various members of the staff inspected the work of the Kakioka
Magnetic Observatory (where we compared our instruments),
the Meteorological Office, the Marine Observatory, and research-
ship Synpu-Maru in Kobe, the Observatory at Kyoto, Hydro-
272
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
graphic Office, and Bureau of Weights and Standards, as well
as certain other departments of the Government and Imperial
University interested in physical and biological work.
On board, nets were mended, rigging set-up, the sails which
were torn in the typhoon renewed, scientific and ship's supplies
replenished, instruments conditioned, and the damage from the
The Staff of the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory
These men were cliiefly trained abroad and maintain a splendid station for collecting
magnetic data.
air-tank explosion repaired. Besides this, we had just received
the bronze anchor which was lost at Easter Island under such
exciting circumstances. This anchor had been fished up by
native divers, had been carried by the little Chilean tug Antartico
to Valparaiso and had crossed the Pacific on a Japanese liner.
The Carnegie was moored in the inner harbor throughout our
stay. It was a very interesting spot. Not since Hamburg had
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
273
Kegon Falls near Nikko
Every year some Japanese students romantically commit suicide by jumping into the
chasm below.
274
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
275
we seen such a busy port. Steamers were arriving continuously
from every part of the world. Behind us were the great ship-
building-yards where giant motor-ships were being constructed
to give Japan a modern merchant marine. From our mooring
we could get occasional glimpses of Mount Fuji in the distance —
a very impressive sight.
Sacred Red Lacquer Bridge at Nikko
Only the Emperor may cross here — a recent American President gracefully refused an
invitation to break the ancient taboo.
After arrangements had been made through Dr. Nakamura
and Mr. Ono, Captain Ault and Parkinson took ashore the mag-
netic instruments for the comparisons at the Kakioka Observatory
which is about forty miles northeast of Tokyo. They were en-
gaged in this work until Sunday when they made a trip to Nikko.
While they were at the Observatory they experienced a first-
class earthquake. Captain Ault writes: "About five-thirty one
morning a rumbling noise was heard resembling a heavy train
crossing a wooden bridge in the distance. The suspended magnet
276 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
began to tremble; the wooden building in which we were working
began to creak and groan as though in a violent windstorm; and
our chairs began to bump along the floor. After our first startled
shout of 'earthquake,' Parkinson and I just sat and grinned at
each other during the minute and a half of the disturbance and
hoped that the building would hold together."
They had no more than arrived back in Yokohama when a
delegation of Japanese scientists invited our party to visit the
oceanographic research-ship, the Synpii-Maru, in Kobe; and the
meteorological station at Kyoto. It was impossible for all of
us to leave our work so Captain Ault and Parkinson again packed
up for the two-day trip.
The survey-ship was found to be well equipped and the officers
were justly proud of the work they were accomplishing in phys-
ical and chemical oceanography in the waters surrounding Japan.
A visit was made to the marine laboratories as well. On the way
back to Yokohama, Captain Ault and Parkinson stopped off in
Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, to see the Meteorological
Observatory there. Wherever they went they found excellent
equipment, splendid buildings, and enthusiastic scientific workers.
While they were away on their trips to other cities. Captain
Ault and Parkinson had several opportunities for eating in Japa-
nese style. At Kyoto they had a lunch with Dr. Tsukuda which
they described on their return. As soon as they entered they
removed their shoes and were taken to one of the many dining
cubicles for the guests do not all eat in the same room as in our
public restaurants. They had no more than seated themselves
on the floor-cushions when a bowl of hot barley-soup was handed
to them. Preparations were now made for cooking the meal. A
shallow chafing-dish was brought in and placed on a low table
in the center of the room — over a hidden gas jet. Everything
they ate except the soup and rice was cooked in their presence.
Dishes of sliced fresh meat, onions, celery, bamboo-shoots, and
sauce were arranged about the table and the waitress placed
them in the chafing-dish as required. When the meat and vege-
tables were ready, small bowls of boiled rice were brought and
everyone pitched in. Each guest had his chopsticks and with
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
277
The Japanese Oceanographic Research-vessel the Synpu-maru
Officers and Crew of the Synpu-maru
The Japanese research-ship which makes oceanographic studies of the waters near
Japan.
278 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
them he removed whatever he wished from the chafing-dish in
the center, or from the side-dish of pickles. When everyone
had finished, steaming towels were passed around to take the
place of our napkins.
By some magic. Captain Ault himself found time to see a base-
ball-game in Japan. In describing this game he says: "The ball-
game was a good one and we nearly collapsed from laughter at
the unusual manner of playing baseball in Japan. They were
up to all the tricks, bunts, hooked slides, pulling off a double
steal of second and home twice. It was odd to see each batter
bow to the umpire behind the plate when he came up to bat and
if a runner spiked a baseman when sliding, he bowed and cere-
moniously tipped his cap. Nobody bawled out the umpires, of
which there were three — regular world's series style. But the
home-plate man was the chief "shogun." For an outfield catch
he would rush down the field as far as second base and for a foul
catch he would outrush the catcher by five yards. He insured
good pitching by calling everything a ball that did not cut the
heart of the pan. Everybody was smiling — even the third base-
man after making three wild throws. They say baseball is even
more popular in Japan than in the United States."
During our stay in port, several dinners were given in our honor.
The most impressive of these was at the Imperial Academy of
Sciences in Tokyo. There were about fifty members present.
The average age of our hosts was sixty -two, so even Captain Ault
felt like a youngster. Several addresses were delivered felicitating
us on our work and at the end of the ceremonies we were presented
with a fine copy of the two-volume report on the Pan-Pacific
Scientific Congress held in Japan in 1926. From the roof of the
building in which we dined a magnificent view of Tokyo was ob-
tained. On the areas destroyed by the great earthquake and fire
there now rise substantial cement and steel buildings with wide
boulevards and canals replacing the narrow, crooked streets of
former times. It is impossible to admire these people enough
for the energy they have shown in rebuilding one of the largest
cities in the world — all in the space of a few years!
Another dinner was given in Kamakura a seaside resort not
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
279
far from Yokohama. This city is famed as the place where the
Great Buddha is located. We were the guests of about fifteen
Japanese scientists from the various observatories in and about
The Old Japanese Method of Sawing Logs
The weight of the saw does most of the work.
Tokyo. After the dinner one of the Japanese gentlemen suggested
that we sign a few postal cards and forward them to our Director,
Dr. Bauer, and to our families at home.
280
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
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On June 20, we held an "at home" aboard the ship and through-
out the dav boatload after boatload of keenly-interested scientific
men and technical students inspected our equipment. Cameras
clicked, pencils scratched, and questions were fired, as the visitors
made the rounds. Nowhere had a more lively and intelligent
interest been displayed in the vessel. Virtually every laboratory
and observatory in this part of Japan had sent its delegation.
We had passed a delightful fortnight in the invigorating atmos-
phere of this busy, progressive country. We had made most
satisfactory contacts with Japanese men of science and our
necessary shore- work was completed. So on June '24 we sailed
down the bay — Homeward Bound!
We were to be short-handed in the crew as well as in the staff;
for the Tahitian sailor who had signed on in Papeete did not report
for duty on sailing day. No substitute could be found. There
was an additional handicap in that the piano-wire ordered from
Germany had not arrived in time to be taken aboard. It would
be necessary to use the utmost caution in getting bottom-samples
for by now we had no reserve supply of wire.
YOKOHAMA TO SAN FRANCISCO TO HONOLULU TO
TUTUILA TO APIA
The head-wind encountered in sailing out of port made it neces-
sary to use the engine and fore-and-aft sails; so we required even
more time to make the southward passage than in coming in.
Tacking was most difficult in a bay cluttered up with junks and
fishing-boats, often in long tows of six or eight, or connected by
seines.
The first ten days brought calms and variable winds so that we
averaged only ninety miles a day even with the engine running.
However, these calms gave us favorable conditions for "swinging
ship" for magnetic deviations. On the Fourth of July we entered
the cold fogs and drizzle of the North Pacific. In this region we
were to see only fleeting glimpses of the sun for two weeks or
more. The copper stove was put into commission to heat the
cabin, and was not removed until our arrival at San Francisco
four weeks later. Adverse winds drove us three hundred miles
282
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
out of our course between July 9 and 12; yet the fair breezes we
encountered on the 14th drove us through the water toward home
at the rate of two hundred miles a day for twenty days.
The overcast, foggy weather seriously interfered with much of
our work. Declination-observations, in which the position of
the sun is used in determining the compass-error, had virtually
Captain Ault about to Descend in the Diving-helmet
To untangle the sounding-wires which had fouled the oscillator in the keel during an
oceanographic station.
to be abandoned. Pilot-balloon flights were impossible; and
atmospheric-electric work was considerably hampered. However,
the most discouraging result of this wretched weather was that
the whole party came down with heavy colds and Parkinson was
so ill that he was confined to bed.
The first oceanographic station after leaving Yokohama re-
quired seven hours to complete. The strong currents fouled the
piano- wire with the bottle-series. This event was more serious
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
283
than usual, because we were now using the last of our
and we could not afford to sacrifice it to save time
Ault was forced to don the diving-helmet to locate
which seemed to be in the vicinity of the ship's keel,
this apparatus at sea is dangerous at best and we were
pitching so badly that it was difficult for him to keep
on his shoulders. It was found that the piano-wire
piano-wire
Captain
the tangle
The use of
rolling and
the helmet
had fouled
Observing the Flight of a Pilot-balloon
Captain Ault devised a special chair for the sextant in which the weight of the instru-
ment is taken up by a coil spring eliminating the tremendous physical strain on the observ-
er's arms in holding up the sextant from 20 to 70 minutes.
the oscillator. By lowering a lead weight down this wire the
obstruction was cleared without a loss of equipment.
While we were in Japan the stev/ard had bought a canary. He
found that it did not sing well enough and before he left port he
bought it a portable phonograph and a "canary-record" to give
it encouragement. He had bought a second record at the same
time, some sort of a Danish dance-tune. So from morning till
night we heard either one or the other of these selections. It got
on our nerves so much that in self defense we presented him with
some of our own discs.
284 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
On the voyage from Guam, Captain Ault had designed a more
elaborate sextant-chair than 'the one we had been using. It was
constructed in Japan and we were now giving it a trial. The whole
chair was mounted on an azimuth-turntable so that the sextant
observer could not only give the theodolite man the altitude but
also an approximate horizontal angle, should the latter lose track
of the balloon. It was found to check within two degrees on the
average — much better than expected.
Our bottom-sampling program was very successful. Leaving
the weights at the bottom reduced considerably the time of
operation and saved power. At several stations duplicate sam-
ples were obtained, one to be used by the American Telephone
and Telegraph Company in experimental work on corrosion of
various metals.
The frequent use of our main engine during the first week had
so seriously depleted our stock of gasoline that we made plans
to stop in at Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, to refill our tanks. How-
ever, after we had picked up the strong southwesterly winds we
decided to stay on our course.
The strong winds and currents encountered in the latter half
of this passage resulted in large angles of the aluminum-bronze
wire to which the reversing deep-sea thermometers and bottles
were attached. Here we met with an old difficulty; the bronze
messengers sent down to release the bottles descended with too
little force to be effective. By drilling out large holes in the mes-
sengers and filling them with lead the weight was almost doubled.
This expedient was so successful that we were able to secure data
on salt-content and temperature down to a depth of 3,500 meters
with a wind of "force 6" on the Beaufort scale.
We crossed the 180th meridian on July 14 so that we repeated
that date. The sea was so rough that Captain Ault gave orders
to break the usual routine by making magnetic observations as
on the previous day instead of heaving to for oceanographic work.
On July 6 while waiting for the deep-sea thermometers to reach
the temperature of the surrounding water we amused ourselves
by catching a "gooney" or black-footed albatross. These enor-
mous birds, so graceful in flight, are clumsy beyond belief
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
285
when placed on deck. The gentlest surge of the vessel sends
them sprawling into the scuppers and after a few moments aboard
they become miserably sea-sick. An astonishing thing about
them is that they do not seem to be able to fly from the deck.
Like a sea-plane, they require a long stretch of water as a "take-
A "Gooney" ok Black-footed Albatross
These birds are comical when placed on deck, in which case they are unable to "take-
off" and become miserably sea-sick.
off." They are easily caught with a strong fish-line to which is
attached a triangle cut from a kerosene tin. A piece of bacon
or pork is tied to one side of the triangle and when the bird pecks
at it a steady pull of the line catches him by his curved beak and
he is hauled aboard without injury.
286
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
On July 9 the oceanographic station disclosed the interesting
fact that the temperature of the water at the 100-meter depth,
namely, one and one-half degrees Centigrade, was the same as at
5,500 meters. This showed an enormous inflow of cold water
from the Bering Sea.
For the first time in about three weeks we had a few hours of
sunshine on July 21. Parkinson and the others had finally re-
covered from their colds; the vessel was bounding along at over
two-hundred miles a day and we were nearing home. To cele-
The "Gooney" or Black-footed Albatross, a Constant Companion in the North
Pacific
brate the change in our spirits the whole sea burst into bloom for
we entered an area where for hour after hour we plowed through
millions of "by-the-wind sailors" or velella, and goose-neck bar-
nacles ; with here and there wind-rows of white froth stretching to
the horizon, made up of myriads of tiny shells, with only their
mucus floats visible. A single dip of the hand-net would some-
times fill a pint bottle with these delicate purple pteropods. At
night we used the depth-light to illuminate the water from below.
Long whitish streamers which proved to be colonies of salps were
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 287
visible just below the surface. Some of these had disintegrated
to such an extent that what seemed to be a solid object in the
water was almost impalpable when caught in a dip-net. In this
region the goonies came around the ship in whole flocks and not
in twos or threes as previously.
We were so far in arrears in our declination-observations due
to the continuously overcast skies that someone was posted on
deck to give the alarm should the sun show promise of being visi-
ble for a few minutes in the morning or afternoon. These heavy
clouds not only interfered with the magnetic work but made
taking time-sights an arduous task. Then one day we found
that our patent-log had been carried away. We never knew
whether some large fish had taken the whirling-vanes for a trolling
spoon-hook, or whether the log had become entangled in some
refuse thrown overboard.
On July 27 the sea was extremely rough with a very strong
northwest wind blowing. Surprising enough, the wire-angles at
the oceanographic station were quite small. Apparently the
wind-drift of the vessel and the sub-surface currents were in the
same general direction.
Radio conditions were excellent on this voyage and daily
schedules were maintained with the amateur station KUP of the
San Francisco Examiner. This station arranged to call us every
hour as we neared port so that our numerous friends waiting in
San Francisco might know when to expect us. For several days
we had been listening in on music broadcasts sent on the ordinary
long-waves, something we rarely did at sea.
So monotonous had the sound of our little fog-horn become dur-
ing these weeks that we almost welcomed the ear-splitting roar
of the fog-signal from a liner which all but ran us down as we
closed in on the California coast. As our time-sights were a little
uncertain on the last day out we navigated by soundings. Jones
also improvised a radio compass on the back of the Joshua chair.
Our landfall was the ugly grunt of the Point Reyes fog-signal which
we picked up slightly off our port bow.
By six o'clock on the evening of July 28, we were riding at
anchor off quarantine in San Francisco Bay, the gloomy passage
288 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
from Yokohama behind us and four weeks of sunny shore-work
and relaxation ahead.
On shore, many of the party found relatives and friends await-
ing them. Captain Ault was met by Mrs. Ault and his two daugh-
ters, Soule was greeted by his parents, Scott was welcomed by
his sister, Paul found his mother and brother. But these reunions
were not to postpone our immediate duties; everyone wished to
complete these as soon as possible to allow time for leave.
Accordingly, sites for magnetic intercomparisons were surveyed,
tents were set up, instruments mounted, and all made ready for
the long day of "swinging ship" on July 31. As the vessel sailed
back and forth in the spacious bay on different headings, making
observations with the marine instruments, Parkinson and Paul
were simultaneously taking readings on shore at Goat Island.
Completing the program of swinging ship that evening we
entered dry-dock where we were laid up for ten days for a general
overhauling for the voyage to New Zealand and round the Horn.
Extensive repairs were made in dry-dock. All the old composi-
tion sheathing was removed and replaced with heavier plates.
The winch was equipped with roller-bearings to prevent the over-
heating which developed at many oceanographic stations. The
rigging was set up and tarred down. Many repairs were made
in the engine-room and galleys. While this work was being done
Captain Peters was in charge of the vessel for Captain Ault had
gone away to spend a few days with his family.
A considerable change in our personnel took place in San Fran-
cisco. Forbush, whom we had met in Peru arrived to relieve
Torreson as navigating-ofRcer and as observer in magnetism and
atmospheric electricity. Seaton came to relieve Jones, the radio
operator and magnetic observer and computer. Graham took
over the duties of biologist and chemist from Paul who had been
temporarily in charge of this work since April. The men who
were leaving us here stayed until we sailed to introduce the new
members of the staff to their duties. Changes in the sailing-staff
were more extensive: Sturk and Stenstrom replaced Leyer and
Bagelman as Engineer and Mechanic; three replacements were
made in the forecastle; while the three watch-officers remained
the same.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
289
In port we were fortunate in having the help of many members
of our Washington staff and of other research workers. Mr.
Fleming, our Acting Director; Mr. Peters, who had been
Captain of the Carnegie on her early cruises; Mr. Gish, who was
to make the passage with us to Honolulu in connection with our
atmospheric-electric work — all came from headquarters. Dr.
McEwen and Dr. Moberg made the journey from La Jolla to help
us calibrate our deep-sea thermometers and other oceanographic
Gish Testing the Pexetratixg-radiatiox Apparatus at Crystal Lake, San-
Francisco
Tlie "rays" which are measured with tliis instrument are the most powerful known;
they can penetrate many feet of lead and seem to originate outside our solar system.
equipment. Dr. Moberg also joined us for the voyage to Hawaii
to help Graham take hold of his duties as biologist and chemist.
Dr. Wright installed the pendulum-apparatus for determining
gravity at sea, and instructed Forbush in its operation. Mr.
Leahy of L. T. Snow and Company, San Francisco, took upon
himself many of the irritating tasks incidental to the overhauling
of the ship and reprovisioning.
Mr. Gish brought us some new equipment. He had tested out
290 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
a new Kolhorster penetrating-radiation apparatus in Pasadena
and with Parkinson subjected it to further trials under the waters
of Crystal Lake near San Francisco. This instrument registers
the quantity of penetrating-rays reaching the earth and may be
lowered into the sea to determine the depth at which this powerful
form of energy is absorbed. Mr. Gish also supervised the in-
stallation of a photographic conductivity-recorder which had
just been designed and constructed in our shop in Washington.
Forbush had brought with him several new chronometers and
a photographic time-signal recorder with which time-comparisons
could be made accurately to one-tenth of a second and approxi-
mately to one-hundredth. These delicate time-checks were
necessary for the "gravity-apparatus." He also brought new
silk plankton-nets for capturing organisms floating in the sea.
Graham had just come from the Scripps Institution in La Jolla
where he had spent a month in studying the methods used in
chemical oceanography. He and Dr. Moberg spent most of their
time in San Francisco in reconditioning the oceanographic labora-
tory and in preparing new standard solutions. It was impossi-
ble to use the delicate chemical balance on board so these men set
up the instrument on the pier. Graham also found time to cali-
brate the bottles which were to be used in determining the amount
of oxygen in sea-water. We had had such difficulty in obtaining
distilled water of sufficient purity for our chemical work that it
was decided to buy a small still of our own. Before Graham could
take it on board he had to sign five copies of an affidavit that it
would not be used for making liquor.
The gravity-apparatus which was installed in the cabin by Dr.
Wright was now to be tried out for the first time on a surface-
vessel. Cruises in Dutch and American submarines had shown
that it might be expected to give reliable measurements if the
roll of the ship did not exceed 10°. Besides this we were not
bothered with constant vibration due to engines. The pendulum-
equipment was designed by Dr. Vening Meinesz of Holland and
was perhaps the most delicate instrument on board. It recorded
photographically the swings of three pendulums and recorded on
the same paper the beats of a chronometer whose rate was known
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
291
The Carnegie Dressed for the Celebration of the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of
THE Founding of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
Several thousands of visitors inspected the vessel and its equipment following the formal
exercises held on the quarter-deck.
292
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
with great accuracy. From this trace the force of gravity at any
place could be calculated.
When the "swinging of the ship" for compass-deviations was
completed, the scientific program ashore resolved itself chiefly into
magnetic and electric observations at Fort Scott. On board there
were instruments to repair, plankton- and bottom-samples to
ship to our laboratory, bird-specimens to forward to the National
Museum, scientific supplies to stow away, and hydrogen-tanks
Visitors on the Quarter-deck
At the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration in San Francisco.
to be refilled. However, between these duties we all had oppor-
tunities for visiting the various laboratories in California where
physical and oceanographic research were carried on — Mount
Wilson Observatory, the Scripps Institution at La Jolla, Leland
Stanford laboratories at Palo Alto, Coast and Geodetic Survey
ships, Hopkins Marine Laboratory at Pacific Grove, and the Uni-
versity of California laboratories in Berkeley.
While we were in San Francisco the Graf Zeppelin arrived from
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 293
Japan on her round-the-world flight. She appeared at sunset and
made a very impressive sight as she sailed in over the Golden Gate.
She was surrounded by swarms of escort-planes which looked as
small as flies in comparison.
San Francisco annually celebrates what is called "Harbor Day."
At this time all the ships in port are dressed in their best bunting
and are open to visitors. So on August 22, the Carnegie was aflame
with flags and pennants, as though in rehearsal for its own anni-
versary, which was to be held later amid pomp and circumstance.
At this celebration, on the 26th, Dr. Merriam, President of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington; Mr. Storey, one of our
Trustees, Dr. Pritchett, President of the Carnegie Corporation;
Dr. Adams, Director of the Mount Wilson Observatory; Dr.
Campbell, President of the University of California; and about
fifty invited guests collected on the quarter-deck for the cere-
monies. Short addresses were given outlining the world-wide
work of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism during its
first twenty -five years of activity. For several days letters and
cablegrams of felicitation arrived from every part of the world.
On the following days, the ship was open for inspection to the
general public. Instruments were labeled and transparencies
were mounted in the chart-room to show the activities of other
departments of the Institution. The staff acted as guides about
the vessel. As many as three thousand visitors were counted,
attesting the great interest in our unique ship.
Throughout the stay the members of the party took leave for
a few days; some to camp in the Sierras, some to motor through
the state, others to visit relatives; but all to enjoy a break from
routine. The few days spent in a hotel, while the ship was in
dry -dock came as a relief from the noise, confusion, and cramped
quarters of the ship.
Parkinson made good use of his leave by going to Los Angeles
to see moving-pictures being made. He had written to Mary
Pickford and had received an invitation from her which opened
every door in Hollywood. He was introduced everywhere as
"Mary Pickford's friend." Before he left he had seen Charlie
Chaplin directing his own play.
294
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Tom, our Washington cat, must have found the attractions of
San Francisco too great to resist for he walked ashore one night
The Dome von the 100-inch Telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory,
California
Several of the party visited this Observatory while we were in California.
and never came back. A few days later a kitten came aboard
and made herself at home. This one we called "Rosie."
Our long-postponed departure for the South Seas on September
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
295
3 was exciting. We had been docked in the midst of the busy
ferry-shps and when our Hues were cast off it was found that the
engine-clutch refused to engage. We were now at the mercy
of the strong tide sweeping up the harbor; and with the busy
The Scientific Personnel of the Cariiegie on Leaving San Francisco in
September, 1929
Front row, left to right: Parkinson, Captian Ault, Soule; back row, left to right,
Forbush, Seaton, Scott, Graham, Paul.
steam-traffic shuttling around us, it was very uncomfortable.
The engineer and mechanic struggled to cool the overheated
clutch while the officers on the bridge did their best to conceal
their disgust. Fortunately, we were drifting southward past the
less active piers and soon began to make steerageway under fore-
296 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
and-aft sails. The afternoon was well spent before we took
departure from the Golden Gate; for we were forced to tack
repeatedly in the face of a brisk west wind.
We pushed our way out into a cold, grey evening and into a
heavy coast sea. The new men were having an unfair breaking-
in, for the vessel rolled and pitched as violently as it had in the
stormy waters near Japan. There was much scurrying about
of the men as they finished restowing our new supplies before
breakage occurred.
The cabin was quite crowded with the addition of Dr. Moberg
and Mr. Gish to our ranks. It was necessary to bring out air-
mattresses and to take turns sleeping on the floor. Graham had
a difficult time keeping himself in bed on one of these cushions.
When it was inflated to high pressure he found himself rolling
off; when blown up only slightly, he scraped the floor with every
roll of the ship. However, a little experimentation and he dis-
covered that the mattress made a perfect gimbal and his difficul-
ties were over. Seaton made himself a hammock.
The whole passage to Honolulu was made in calms and light
airs with the exception of a day or two when the trades were
picked up. Our engine was given hard usage. The new engine-
room gang was initiated by having to spend a thirty-hour session
in repairing the Buffalo engine, one of the cylinder-blocks of
which had cracked. This machine was our only source of electric
power so that there must be no delay in getting it in order.
Dr. Moberg and Graham divided the duties in the chemical
laboratory, thereby allowing Paul time to record for the pilot-
balloon flights. This relieved Captain Ault, for Scott now read
off the sextant-altitudes. Graham was slightly handicapped in
his work because of an accident he had suffered a few days out of
port. As he emerged from the chart-room one day the heavy
door was slammed shut by a sudden lurch of the vessel and his
finger was crushed in the lock.
The new triple-size bottom-samplers, made up in San Francisco,
were a grand success. With these we were able to secure about
four pounds of material instead of about one, thus making it
unnecessary to make multiple soundings when large amounts of
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
297
FoRBUSH Measuring the Force of Gravity with the Pendulum-apparatus
The Carnegie was the first surface-vessel to be equipped with this instrument, previous
investigations having been made in submarines.
298 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
deposit were required. The new theodolite sent to us by the
Navy Department was a great improvement since the field of
vision was increased.
Forbush gave the gravity-apparatus its first trials. As this
instrument had never before been used on a surface-vessel, but
only on a submarine, difficulties were anticipated. They came —
thick and fast. First, the heavy rolling threw a pendulum out
of its support. On the next trial, it was found that the foot-
screws were not rigidly enough clamped down. Then it became
apparent that some means must be devised for damping the
motion of the apparatus. Finally, it was decided that only a
new mounting would solve the difficulties. Notwithstanding
these setbacks several useful traces were secured.
On September 7 a new peak on the ocean-floor was discovered.
This submarine mountain rises about ten thousand feet above
the general level of the bottom. We named this Hayes Peak
after Dr. Harvey C. Hayes of the Naval Research Laboratory
in Washington who had developed the sonic depth-finder for the
Navy. The slopes are very steep, there being a rise of 8,500
feet in the distance of six miles.
For a long time we had been casting about for some good form
of evening relaxation. There was little enthusiasm for card-
playing, while reading books and magazines failed to give us what
we wanted. So at Parkinson's suggestion a grand ping-pong
tournament was arranged. There were difficulties. Some of the
men had never played the game while others were almost experts.
The problem was solved by holding a preliminary meet to deter-
mine handicaps. During the final games Soule stood by with a
slide-rule and calculated the standing of each player to three or
four decimals. In the end, the new men came out far ahead for
they had shown the greatest improvement in their game.
On September 13 we again entered the region where the sea is
covered with velella or "by-the-wind sailors." These creatures
cannot be captured in a dip-net without destroying the delicate
blue tentacles which surround them. It was quite an art to catch
them in a canvas-bucket with the ship under way and rolling
heavily.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
299
The Pendulums of the Vening-Meinesz Gravity-apparatus
Installed on the Carnegie at San Francisco to obtain measurements of the force of
gravity in different parts of the world, which are of great interest to geophysicists in their
study of the Earth's crust — these pendulums are made of "invar," an alloy which does
not contract or expand with changes in temperature.
300 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
One day Parkinson reported abnormally high values for the
atmospheric potential-gradient with correspondingly low readings
of conductivity and ion-count. Seaton had also noted a severe
decrease in radio signal-intensity on the seven-thousand-kilocycle
band. These observations indicated that the earth was having a
"magnetic storm" so a radiogram was sent to the Cheltenham
Observatory in Maryland and to Mount Wilson in California for
confirmation. Their instruments had indeed recorded severe
disturbances during this period. During these days Seaton had
rigged up a shorter radio antenna which increased the strength
of the time-signals about seventy per cent.
Our supply of fresh food had been exhausted about a week,
when four "dolphins" weighing fifteen pounds each were landed
with a hook and line. These made up the most delicious steaks
we had ever served as a result of our own fishing. These beautiful
fish are called "mahi-mahi" in Hawaii where they are a common
article of diet. The play of rainbow colors on their skins when
they are taken from the water is exquisite.
By this time the new men had been broken in and had become
accustomed to the motion of the vessel. The aid rendered us by
Dr. Moberg and Mr. Gish who made this passage as our guests
allowed a certain increase in our scientific schedule. They were
both favorably impressed with the conditions for work on board
and Dr. Moberg, at least, expressed regret that he was unable
to continue as a permanent member of the party.
By the effort of our little engine we were now nearing the
Hawaiian Islands. Bo'son-birds and flying-fish were seen every
day. On the morning of September 22, Maui was sighted with
Molokai Light blinking its welcome all evening. After an un-
usually quiet approach, we docked in Honolulu about noon on
the twenty-third.
Our short stay in this port gave us an opportunity to visit
the Honolulu Magnetic Observatory, the Bishop Museum for
Polynesian Studies, and the Seismological Observatory on the
Island of Hawaii. The marvelous collections in the Bishop
Museum, which is under the direction of Dr. Gregory, enabled
us to identify many plants and animals, besides native products.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
301
which we had seen in our South Sea passages. The staff was
most generous. They organized an expedition to Mount Tantalus
on which Graham and Paul were able to make a splendid col-
lection of the fast-disappearing native flora of Oahu Island. On
September 30 the Museum personnel invited our party to a
luncheon where we became better acquainted.
The excursion to the Island of Hawaii took about three days.
Forbush, Graham, Gish, and Paul left by the Inter-Island steamer
A "WiLiwiLi" Tree, Coral Plains, Oahu Island, Hawaii
one evening and entered the harbor of Hilo at sunrise. Here
they made a morning's trip by rail along the magnificent coast,
later ascending Kilauea Volcano by automobile. For many days
earth-tremors had been felt in this region and it was predicted
that the great fire-pit was about to become active. In fact the
shocks were so frequent and so severe that while inspecting the
seismograph set up on the crater-rim the instrument was twice
dismantled before their very eyes. Such a coincidence is rare
302
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
indeed. But Queen Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, was not
to oblige us furtfier, for on tfie next morning we walked safely
over the great lava-lake to see the famous pit of Halemaumau.
Lava-moulds, steam-cracks, and trees with clumps of lava en-
tangled in their branches from recent activity made the walk
down the crater unusual.
In one of these steam-cracks we were astonished to find whole
nests of tiny crustaceans which resembled some of the marine
The Pit of HL\lemaumau at Kilauea Volcano, Island of Hawaii
This picture was taken at night and shows the lake of molten lava with islands of solid
material bobbing up and down with the rise and fall of the liquid fire.
forms we catch in our silk-nets. Specimens were collected for
study. How these delicate organisms can exist in the intense
heat of these fissures is a mystery.
Back in Honolulu, the Pan-Pacific Union gave a dinner in our
honor at which Captain Ault described the work of the Carnegie.
Following this event we made our preparations for departure.
While in harbor we had had the company of two very interest-
ing sailing-ships. One, the Vigilant, Captain Mat Peasley, a five-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
303
masted schooner which still makes the passage between Oregon
and Honolulu with lumber and sugar. The other, the Tusitala,
Captain Barker, out of New York. This full-rigged ship is about
the last of such to sail under the American flag.
A Chinese Woman at Work on a Pl^antation in Hawaii
These enormous sugar-estates have been built up with the help of imported labor.
The Tusitala left harbor about an hour behind us on the same
course. We were all eager for a trial of speed with her. With
her towering three masts and her enormous spread of canvas
(including the almost obsolete studdingsails), we had expected
to be left far behind. But her heavy cargo was too great a
handicap and by sunset only her rose-tinted skysails were visible
over the horizon in our wake.
304
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
So out we headed to northward, steering close to the trade-
winds until we should be far enough north to clear them for the
thousand-mile section of the North Pacific along the thirty -fifth
parallel.
On the morning of our first day out from Honolulu, we ho ve-
to for an oceanographic station. Everyone was hoping that this
three-hour delay might enable the full-rigged ship, Tusitala, to
catch up; for she had dropped behind us during the night. We
A "Gannet"
Like an albatross this bird is unable to fly from the deck as, like a hydroplane, it needs
a long "take-off."
might then start at scratch for a race to clear the trade-wind
belt. But she was not sighted again.
The course set by this ship emphasizes the advantage of steam
over sails. The Tusitala was bound for the Panama Canal, and
yet she had to sail a great loop northward to escape the northeast
trade-winds, before she could make headway east or south. The
distance by steamer from San Francisco to Callao for example,
is about forty -six hundred miles, while a sailing-vessel to make the
best time will cover seventy-six hundred between the same ports !
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
305
The seven-week passage to Samoa gave us ideal weather but
feeble winds. The engine was used frequently so that we would
not fall behind schedule and have to sail round the Horn in an
unfavorable season. The full program in magnetism, atmospheric
electricity, oceanography, and meteorology, was carried out with-
out interruption; but heavy cross-currents near the Equator caused
appalling losses of oceanographic equipment. On October 11
two silk-nets were lost when the tow-wire jumped its sheave and
The "Gannet" Salutes
These birds are common in the Pacific.
wore through. To avoid this trouble in the future, the rubber
shock-absorber rope was attached directly at the forecastle-head,
eliminating blocks entirely. The same day brought another
accident, in which we lost a complete bottom-sampling and
bottom-temperature outfit, through the catching of a splice in
the meter-wheel. But on the 25th we were to suffer the most
serious blow of all. The confusing currents below the surface
entangled the bottom-wire and the bottle-series. In clearing
them, the new aluminum-bronze cable was cut by catching on
306
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
an outboard platform. We lost forty-two hundred meters of
wire, nine reversing-bottles, and eighteen of our precious deep-sea
reversing-thermometers. We could ill afford such depletions in
equipment, so from this time on the thermal and chemical series
was not lowered until the bottom-sampling was completed.
This change almost doubled the time required for a station.
By this time we thought old Neptune had exhausted his supply
of practical jokes. But on October 19 we had to repeat the whole
Young Bo'son-birds of the South Pacific
deep-series of chemical and temperature-determinations, be-
cause a tiny piece of rope-yarn, caught by the messenger in de-
scending, had prevented it from reversing the bottles. After this
the first thought that came into our minds as we came on deck
for the day's work, was: "What next.-^"
Referring to our losses in equipment in a radio message to our
headquarters on November 1st, Captain Ault remarked: "From
our dynamic computations, the Counter-equatorial Current is a
mighty river in the Pacific Ocean flowing thirty miles per day
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
307
on the surface near its northern boundary at nine degrees north,
with no velocity at two hundred meters depth. . . No wonder
our fishing-hnes get tangled."
While sailing northward from Honolulu we were struck by a
series of wind-squalls that reached such force as to rip the middle
staysail, gallant, and foresail. The old sails, some of which had
Captain Ault Releasing Pilot-balloons
These balloons trace the direction and velocity of air-currents in the atmosphere as
they rise from the deck.
seen ten years' service, were going one by one. Nevertheless,
they were repaired and put back into use to save the new suit
of canvas we carried for the voyage from New Zealand around
the Horn. Two days later we encountered some remarkably long
swells from the northwest. The statoscope was brought out to
measure the distance between trough and crest. By observation,
the swells were about six hundred feet apart.
308 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
The new men had by now learned appropriate Carnegie table-
manners. In heavy seas, the bent-wood dming-room chairs had
a habit of sliding away from the table. The first impulse of the
uninitiated was to grab for the nearest support and tug the chair
at once back to the table. They soon discovered that proper
etiquette required them to sit quietly and wait for the return roll
to bring them back to the meal.
At the oceanographic station on October 24 we were surprised
to find that the plankton-pump came up much discolored by its
immersion in the sea. Over its dull brass surface were spread
areas of black and bright green as though it had been suspended
in a corrosive fluid. We were at a loss to explain this. Someone
suggested that it might be due to some sulfurous acid in the water,
for we were in a region where the bottom showed signs of recent
volcanic activity. We inquired as to what had been thrown
overboard while we were hove to. The cook had emptied a vessel
of water in which the ham and cabbage had been boiled; but ex-
periment showed that this fluid did not affect the metal in the
same way.
On the following day Forbush put on a vaudeville act. He had
rehearsed it in Honolulu and the performance that day was per-
fect. The stunt consisted of a slide down the cabin-stairs on
heels and elbows. Not everyone witnessed the exhibition so he
repeated it in a matinee the next day. For a long time he went
about the ship with vivid purple elbows.
October 29 was Captain Ault's birthday. Oscar made one of
his pastry creations with fancy icings. The Engineer, Sturk,
presented the Captain with a beautifully machined miniature
flag-pole made out of solid brass with a tiny house-flag flying
from the top. The dinner was notable for we had our first meal
of canned baked chicken. The evening ended in a hilarious game
of "500" where everyone's ambition was directed to lowering the
score of the high-stand man instead of accumulating points for
himself. On many occasions everyone's score stood several
hundred points below zero.
The month of November was ushered in by a terrific downpour
of rain, almost five inches falling during the night. When these
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 309
heavy showers came during the day, they offered a chance for a
fresh-water bath, and were a source of distilled water for rinsing
our chemical apparatus. A small sailing-vessel like the Carnegie
must issue water-rations on these long stretches just as it does
food — so much per man per day.
Three things happened on the first to break the monotony of
our daily routine. During the night a bo'son-bird struck the main
sail with such force as to land stunned on deck. Graham snatched
a few moments here and there throughout the day to prepare a
suitable skin for museum use. Late in the morning we sighted
a steamer, the first sign of human life we had seen for almost a
month. Then in the afternoon a handsome brass-bound wooden
barrel floated past whose origin caused much speculation. Could
it have been that some vessel in distress had floated it with letters
inside.? We were riding a squall at the time so that it was not
feasible to investigate.
By this time we were well down toward the equator again, and
our clothing was a good indicator of the temperature. Short
pants became shorter every day. The photographic dark-room
was like an inferno. Parkinson would appear on deck after
changing the traces of his recorders, dripping wet and gasping
for air. The heat did not discourage Seaton from the tumbling
exercises he took daily on the quarter-deck. There was no need
to take sun-baths as we were exposed only too much already
during the three-or-four-hour oceanographic stations in our ab-
breviated costumes.
As we neared the equator, the neophytes aboard were beginning
to show a little uneasiness, for tales of the horrors of a Neptune
ceremony were circulating about the ship. But when November
5th came around, and the line was crossed, one could hear only
the scratching of pencils, the rhythmic buzz of time-signals, and
the click of typewriters, as the staff went about the routine that
recognized no labor-laws.
When we had arranged to tow the plankton-nets from the bow
of the ship we had dismissed from our minds any possibility of
their becoming entangled with the quarter-deck wires. But on
November 5 the unexpected happened. We were fortunate in
losing only two thermometers and in tearing the nets slightly.
310
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
We had been trying to lay a course which would take us past
Penrhyn and Manihiki Islands but the wind continued to make
that difficult. On the third Captain Ault suggested that unless
the wind veered around he might consider calling at Christmas
Island instead, for it lay well to leeward. This would have
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Scientific Results from Oceanographic Stations Numbers 161 and 162
would have given us a chance to visit the domain of Father Rou-
gier, our host in Tahiti. However, a day or two later brought
a fair breeze for our intended course and we proceeded south-
westward.
We were taken by surprise on November 8. At seven-thirty
A. M., the sonic depth-finder gave a sounding of fifty-two hundred
meters. During the station, beginning at eight A.M., the lowest
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 311
bottle of the series was lowered to four thousand meters. But
when it was brought up, it contained globigerina ooze, showing
that it had been on the bottom. A second sounding was made at
once, and confirmed the shoaling of twelve hundred meters in a
few miles. All through these regions such irregularities of sea-
floor had been noted, but seldom so striking as this. On this day
Tony our cabin-boy caught four bonitos which furnished fresh
fish dinners for everyone.
Since Graham had joined the party, the chemical program had
been expanded to include determinations of silicates, phosphates,
oxygen, and hydrogen-ions at each station. With his help it was
The Boat-harbor, Lagoon, Penrhyn Island
The resident white man, Mr. Wilson, was washed ashore here in 1888, following the
wreck of the Derby Park; and has never left the island.
possible to add a vertical haul of a silk-net from one hundred and
fifty meters, at each station, besides occasionally checking the
plankton-pump. The pump determined the number of organisms
floating in the water and to check its efficiency one filtered a known
volume of sea-water collected in a large bottle through a small
silk-net, and counted the marine plants and animals so captured.
On November 10, it was decided to heave to in the lee of Pen-
rhyn Island to get a good measurement of the force of gravity.
The apparatus had not proved a success on the open sea. This
short stop enabled us to collect biological specimens and diatoms
from the lagoon, and furnished a little recreation. This tiny atoll
lies about midway between the Marquesas and Samoa, and is
312 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
rarely visited by ships. The Carnegie had stopped there on a
previous cruise, so that we were certain of a welcome from the
white resident, Mr. Wilson. He was a castaway from the ship-
wrecked Derby Park in 1888, and he has never since left the Island.
Once ashore we found, besides Mr. Wilson, a white merchant
named Wilkinson, whom we had met in Tahiti in the spring; and
a pearl-trader by the name of Woonton. These men at once pre-
pared a grand feast for us, while we rambled about the village, or
fished the lagoon for specimens. Our hosts regaled us with many
a South Sea yarn, as we sat on the verandahs drinking fresh
coconut-milk.
The natives are chiefly engaged in the pearl-fishery. On bringing
up a good specimen, they take it to the trader, who allows a
withdrawal of goods from his store to the value of the gem. There
is no system of credit, so the lucky diver simply carries five or
ten bags of flour, or a few cases of canned meat, to the center of
the village, and invites everyone to help himself. In the long run,
it is fair enough to everyone, and the natives seldom lack food and
clothes. Of course, there is no chance for building fortunes; but
all through Polynesia we noted the same happy-go-lucky way of
living.
Two davs later we made a similar call at Manihiki Island;
here the gravity-measurements were not so successful, due to the
swells coming in from the west. The Resident Agent, Mr. Wil-
liams, an old friend of a previous Carnegie cruise, gave us a hearty
welcome to his charming island empire. This atoll offered a
striking contrast to Penrhyn. Immaculate coral paths divided
the neat little houses and flower-gardens into "blocks." The
natives were well dressed; the coconut-palms were properly spaced
and pruned for maximum production. Everywhere were evi-
dences of a fatherly care on the part of old Mr. Williams. To
the Carnegie this Island is chiefly remembered for its character-
istic dance. On a previous cruise photographs and moving pic-
tures of this unique performance were destroyed by an accident
in developing. And we were fated to lose ours for another reason.
In the afternoon, Mr. Williams rounded up the villagers in the
large white building that serves for town-hall, post-office, and
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
313
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THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
school. The natives, who had just completed a hilarious cele-
bration of Armistice Day, were on the verge of physical exhaustion ;
but they were willing to repeat it all for our benefit. The or-
chestra for the grand"fandango" was unique. It consisted of a
collection of some twelve or fifteen percussion-instruments : large
drums made by stretching pigskin over the hollowed trunk of a
coconut-tree, smaller drums of conventional design, hollow blocks
4
Dancing in the Churchyard at Manihiki Island
of wood, hard -wood sticks, and an empty kerosene tin. With
this apparatus they were able to play the most complex patterns
of rhythm, perfectly suited to their dance — a performance which
amazed us all.
The whole of the able-bodied population participates. Ranks
are formed as for a military drill, and leaders take their places at
the head of each file. The "orchestra" now strikes up its barbaric
rhythm, and at the shouted commands of the leaders, the dancers
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 315
start their wild shakings and gyrations — motions which would
reduce a white man to pulp in a few moments.
We found here exquisite inlay-work in native woods, besides
the fine plaited hats and fans for which the Island is noted. The
wood of the coconut-tree, which we had believed valueless, is
here used for many purposes, and looks well when polished.
Almost everyone on board had been bartering for these products,
and for small pearls. The "singlet" was the most usual medium
of exchange, just as it had been in Easter Island and Penrhyn;
although dark trousers or old coats were much in demand. Some
of the party in this way accumulated a respectable number of
seed-pearls. Captain Ault was presented with two very fine
specimens by the Resident Agent as he bade us farewell.
We were now but a few days from Samoa, and the fast dwindling
supply of gasoline was eked out by catching every breath of air
that blew our way. Reports and computations for the voyage
about to close kept all hands at work till late at night.
The temperature of the ocean-bottom had been measured at
almost every oceanographic station since Honolulu, but just
outside Samoa we recorded our lowest — one and one-tenth de-
grees Centigrade. Another interesting observation was that in
this region of long-continued calms, the surface may be almost a
whole degree warmer than the water five meters below it; dif-
ferences of one or two hundredths degrees are usual, when winds
mix the surface-layers. There was also a two-degree diurnal
variation at the surface due to the sunshine.
The outstanding result of our echo-sounding was the discovery
of a new submarine ridge just north of Hawaii. We were able also
to show that there is no deep trough between Penrhyn and Mani-
hiki, as the charts would lead one to believe. The slopes of these
two islands, as well as that of Tutuila, were carefully plotted.
Pilot-balloon flights had been very successful, thanks to the
fine skies and the new theodolite. This instrument was so well
adapted to conditions, that the sextant-chair designed by Captain
Ault was seldom used.
Radio conditions had been unexcelled throughout the entire
trip. Daily schedules with many amateurs in the United States,
316 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Hawaii, and Australia had brought us the news of the world, and
had kept us in constant touch with our home office. As an in-
stance to show the faithful services of these enthusiasts, we might
mention the operator of station W6DZY. He transmitted a
two-hundred word technical message for us and finished by
stating that he had just broken three fingers, due to the fall of a
heavy piece of machinery.
Entering Pago Pago Harbor in the early afternoon of November
19, we did not have darkness to contend with as we did in the
spring, when we nearly piled up on the reef. But this time the
little engine was pushed to the limit in bucking the powerful wind-
squalls that swooped down from the mountains surrounding the
bay. Time and again we were stopped dead in our tracks by
these sudden gusts, almost losing steerageway at times. Be-
cause of the danger in tying up to the wharf under these con-
ditions, we made fast to a buoy until the following morning.
The landing this time was almost a home-coming. Our friends
of the spring were on hand to welcome us, with here and there
a new face among them. The hospitality of the Naval Station
was extended to us, as before. Since we were to remain here over
a week, we had a better opportunity for observing Samoan life
and for making collections on shore. Once the records and speci-
mens were forwarded to headquarters, we found time to make
several delightful excursions to native villages and into the
mountains.
A native chief from the Leone district invited the party to make
a "malaga," or overnight outing to his village. So on Saturday
evening we chartered a bus, and drove along the palm-shadowed
shore road to the western end of Tutuila. We found the chief's
own "fale," or house, dressed up in fresh coconut-leaves and
ginger-blossoms for our use. The party was at once seated on
mats, inside the circle of pillars supporting the thatched roof, for
the Samoan "kava"-ceremony.
The old chief, with his talking-chief beside him, relayed to us
his flattering words of welcome, while the village virgin with her
two maids went about the task of preparing the national cere-
monial beverage. Large pieces of kava-root are powdered be-
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
317
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318
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
tween stones, and placed in an ornate shallow bowl carved from a
single piece of wood. The "taupo's" helper pours water on the
shredded root from a coconut-shell, while the young mistress of
ceremonies stirs the mixture with her hands. She then takes a
long switch made of bark, rolls it into a ball, and sweeps it around
Bowl, Coconut Dipper, Switch, and Dried Root Used in Making "Kava," the
Ceremonial Drink of Samoa
The natives do not use intoxicating liquors. (From Churchill.)
in the bowl until all the root-fibres are caught in it ; then she throws
it over her shoulder to a young man outside. The "taupo"
now announces through her "talking-maid" that the kava is
ready. The chief then chants "The kava is clear," and claps his
hands for silence.
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 319
Each guest is served in turn from a common coconut-shell,
the chief indicating whose turn it is by singing in a high-pitched
voice a complimentary description of the guest, if his name is
unknown. When one's name is called, it is customary to clap
the hands, so that the serving-maid may know to whom the kava
is to be served. The coconut-shell is held over the kava-bowl,
while the taupo half-fills it with beverage wrung from the switch.
With a long-low, sweeping gesture, the drink is presented to
the guest, who takes it at a gulp. A trace must be left in the
bottom which he spills on the pebbles outside to rinse the shell
for the next man. And so around the circle, guests being served
strictly according to rank. The drink itself has an insipid flavor
which is hard to describe. It is a pearly grey color and leaves a
refreshing though faintly peppery taste in the mouth. It is said
that the taste was far better in the old days when the root was
first thoroughly chewed by the "taupo" before being macerated
in water.
The party now dispersed over the village, while the natives pre-
pared the grand feast — to be served in true Samoan style. There
were games of basket-ball, boxing-matches, and other sports to
amuse us ; but many of the party were more interested in watching
the old women weaving mats or making bark-cloth, or plaiting
coconut-leaf shutters for the "fales."
At sundown we were all assembled at the table, which was no
more than a long stretch of green banana-leaves laid flat on the
ground. Here were piled breadfruit, taro, bananas, pigs, chickens,
and fish, all baked out of doors in the famous Samoan fireless
cooker, except that at one end, where Captain Ault was seated, a
lone browned chicken was standing, cooked in a manner reserved
for high chiefs. After blessing the food, our host invited us to
attack the mountain spread before us. None of us made use of
the knives and forks which had been sent over from the neighbor-
ing town; for the Samoan style of eating with the fingers makes
everything taste better.
The feast was followed by an elaborate "siva-siva," in which
the whole village participated. This exhibition had been seen
on our previous stop in Pago Pago. This time the chief's wife,
320
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
dressed in the ancient Samoan costume, gave us a superb per-
formance of the intricate motions of hand and arm which char-
acterize the dance. It was well for her that the feet and body
play a minor role, for she weighed over two hundred pounds !
By midnight we became drowsy; the monotonous rhythm of
the dance having anything but an exciting effect on a white man.
"Beds" were prepared, simply by piling mat after mat, one on
top of the other, on the pebble-floor. Instead of the usual bark-
A Samoan Feast
The meats are prepared in such a way as to retain their flavor and juices by the Samoan
fireless cooker.
cloth, "siapu," we were each given cotton sheets in which to wrap
ourselves.
At break of dawn the whole village was deserted for the little
churches, but the lazy white man slept on — a scandal to the
countryside. Hot gruel made from about ten native vegetables
brought a more immediate response than church bells and we
scattered for the day, some to take photographs, some to penetrate
the wooded slopes of the mountains nearby, some to collect birds
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
321
and plants for museums at home, and others to wander at random
about the villages along the coast, revelling in the peaceful at-
mosphere which surrounds these people from birth to death.
Graham and Paul spent the following Monday in collecting
biological specimens. A guide was furnished by the chief who
A Samoan Girl
Spends half her time in the water, either fishing with a spear under the water of the reef
or bathing in the stream near the village.
had entertained the party over the week-end, and before they
returned to the ship they had walked over a greater part of the
Island, crossing the mountains several times. A large number of
native birds were secured for the National Museum and a good
322
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
collection of characteristic plants was made for the Carnegie
Museum in Pittsburgh.
A minor accident with a loaded gun was the only thing which
marred the excursion. In Fagasaa, while they were seated in a
Typical Samoan Types
The Samoans have learned the fine art of living — they require few of the contrivances
and stimulants necessary to the white man in order to be happy.
"fale" awaiting the "kava" ceremony, one of the chiefs had picked
up the little S^-caliber gun which was lying on the mat beside
Paul. The gun was loaded with tiny bird-shot and had been set
at "safety." When it was noticed that the gun was being played
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
323
A Samoan Stream
In Samoa one is never more than a few minutes' walk from a stream like this.
324 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
with, Paul reached for it to remove the cartridge lest it be dis-
charged by accident. As he took it from the chief it went off
since it had been cocked while he was not looking. In the crowded
quarters of the "fale" it was almost impossible not to hit someone.
An old chief sitting some ten yards away was the victim. For-
tunately he was struck only on the foot where the thick skin was
penetrated by only a few of the pellets.
Some uncomfortable moments followed. It remained to be
seen how the affair would be taken by the assembly. However a
few words of regret and a prompt removal of most of the shot
with a sterilized needle smoothed matters wonderfully. Perhaps
the brilliant red of mercurochrome painted on the injured foot
worked the magic which changed expressions of consternation to
reassuring smiles.
Entering this same village from the mountains we had been
startled by loud shouts of "Wu-hu-hu." The yell was repeated
at intervals and was answered from all parts of the village. We
had stumbled upon the "tafolo"-ceremony which is becoming
uncommon.
This is a sort of "free lunch" supplied sporadically by the young
men of the village. A long line is formed beginning at the Samoan
hot-stone oven and ending at the chief's "fale." Breadfruit is
taken from the bake-oven by two of the men; the charred skin
is removed by the next pair; the steaming-hot breadfruit is
then thrown into a large wooden bowl where it is crushed by the
third pair with a green fruit used like a potato masher. And so
it passes down the line being pounded until it has the consistency
of bread dough. Hot coconut-cream is poured over the mass
and it is again pounded until it is made somewhat thinner. As
each batch is finished the cry of "Wu-hu-hu" is repeated and the
preparation is rushed into the "fale" still steaming hot. Here
it is distributed to the villagers by the chief who dishes it out with
a coconut-shell cup into banana-leaves.
It was good fortune that our visit to Samoa coincided with the
annual swarming period of the famous "palolo." These marine
worms live in dead coral throughout the year, but on two days a
year, once in October and once in November, they swarm. The
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
325
posterior half of the worm is set free, to swim to the surface for
the "wedding-dance" in which fertiHzation takes place. These
free-swimming portions are really no more than sperm-and-egg
cases which discharge their products and disintegrate in a few
hours. They are highly prized as food by the natives, who know
in advance on which night they will appear and are always on
hand to capture them with dip-nets from their canoes.
Breadfruit
The useful breadfruit, larger than a canteloupe, and very starchy, and green bananas
when baked are the staple articles of diet in Samoa — not the coconut.
So on the night of November 23, the first day of the last quarter
of the moon, Captain Ault, Graham, and Paul took the dinghy
and crossed the harbor to the village of Aua, where the swarm
was usually abundant. As the worms would not appear till
moonrise, the evening was spent in the native "fales" where
excitement reigned, as the torches and dip-nets were prepared.
526
THE LAST CRUISP: OF THE CARNEGIE
By one o'clock the harbor was aflame for each canoe carried flares
and lanterns. The long wait was made an occasion for singing
and good-natured horse-play. By two, false alarms were sounded
here and there along the line. By two-thirty, although the moon
was not yet visible in the harbor, the sea was swarming with jade-
green and ivory "palolo"-worms, swimming in every direction a
few inches below the surface — elusive creatures which broke into
fragments if grasped too roughly. We had brought bottles con-
S.VMOAN Boys in Their "Pao-paos" or Outrigger Canoes
These little dugouts are handled with marvelous skill in the turbulent waters of the
reef.
taining formaldehyde which we proceeded to fill to the disgust of
the natives. For was not the "palolo" the year's greatest delicacy
— and made to be eaten? With specimens secured, we each
turned to and dropped a handful of these wriggling worms into
our mouths, while the others bore horrified witness. The experi-
ence was disappointing for the fragile creatures melted in the
mouth, leaving only the taste of sea-water.
Mysterious as this natural calendar is, some of us were more
impressed by our first meeting with fish that climb rocks and
trees ! We had all read stories about the weird habits of certain
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
327
South Sea fish, but here before our very eyes we found them scam-
pering about the blocks of lava, just as much at home on land as
they are in the water.
The day of our departure was drawing near and we had prepara-
tions to make. Supplies for the galleys and laboratories had to
be stowed away and long-neglected letters answered. On Novem-
ber 26 we pushed off for Apia, arriving there on Thanksgiving
morning.
The day was to be no holiday for us. Parkinson proceeded to
compare his instruments with those at the magnetic observatory ;
The Palolo-worm Which Lives in Dead Coral in Samoa
In response to some mysterious stimulus these worms break in two to allow the lower
portion to swim to the surface for a grand "wedding-dance," this occurring only on two
days a year (once in October and once in November) — the Carnegie was in Pago Pago
harbor for the November swarm. (From Kramer, "Die Samoa Inseln.")
Captain Ault made his official calls, and ordered gasoline and oil;
Paul arranged for further supplies of distilled water; Graham took
silk-nets ashore for repairs and the others were busy about the
ship at their various tasks.
But on the 29th two excursions were arranged. One, a sunrise
visit to the tomb of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife, at
Vaea, in which Soule, Forbush, Graham, and Paul took part.
The other, a trip to the eastern end of Upolu, in which Seaton
joined Graham and Paul in collecting specimens for museum use
at home.
328
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
All morning, Captain Ault and the remaining members of the
staff were at work on board, the crew was engaged in loading the
last of the barrels of gasoline into the ship's tanks. There re-
mained only one hundred and fifty gallons to stow away when
lunch-time came. After the noon meal, the crew resumed their
task; Captain Ault unfolded a chair and sat on the quarter-deck
where he could watch the men at their work; the Engineer and
Public Shower-bath, Samoa
Most Samoan villages have been supplied with a public shower-bath — the natives keep
themselves meticulously clean.
Mechanic were below in the engine-room; and the others were
scattered over the forward half of the ship, at various duties.
With a rumbling roar the ship was shaken from stem to stern
by an explosion — then another. Captain Ault was thrown into
the water. The men at work over the tank-room were hurled to
different parts of the ship. The Engineer and Mechanic were
trapped in the engine-room and in a moment the whole quarter-
deck was enveloped in flame.
The steward and Soule, rushing on deck, dived overboard to
/
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE
329
save the Captain. Sturk and Stenstrom fought their way out
of the blazing engine-room by raising themselves through the
Native Chief and His Wife, Apia
The chief is wearing a skirt made of the bark of the paper mulberry.
gaping hole in the deck. The uninjured men dragged the others
free of the flames. To save the vessel was out of the question and
all attention was directed to the saving of lives.
330
THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE
Small boats had been launched at once from the other ships
in the harbor. Captain Ault, who had been holding on to a rope
as he floated in the water, was helped into one of these and with
the other injured men was taken ashore. Apparently he was
suffering only minor injuries; but his injuries were serious and on
The Last of the Carnegie
This photograph was taken about three hours after the explosion which killed the
Captain and a cabin-boy.
the way to the hospital, our Captain died as the result of them
and of shock.
The other men who had been on the quarter-deck suffered
fractures and severe burns. They were given immediate surgical
attention by the hospital staff, who had been notified by telephone
of the accident.
When the survivors were collected ashore, Tony the cabin-boy
NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 33 1
could not be accounted for. He had last been seen in the after
galley, immediately next to the tank-room; so it was apparent
that he too had lost his life. His remains were not discovered
till December 4, when salvage operations on the charred hull
of the vessel were commenced.
Seaton, Graham, and Paul returned from their collecting-trip
about three hours after the tragedy. The hospital staff and
Government officials had done everything in their power for the
survivors. There was nothing further to do but to await the
arrival of the U.S.S. Oniario, the naval vessel from Pago Pago
which the Navy had ordered to our aid.
The Engineer and Mechanic were too severely burned to stand
the journey to Pago Pago, so they were left in the hospital at
Apia. Parkinson, as second in command, also stayed to take
charge of affairs there. On the day following the explosion, all
the others were taken to American Samoa to await the steamer
from Sydney. The three injured seamen we brought with us were
put in the Naval hospital while the members of the staff were
taken into the homes of the Naval officers, and the crew was
quartered in the barracks.
Everything was done to make us comfortable. We were fur-
nished necessary clothing — for the ship and all its equipment
together with our personal effects, had been a total loss. Gover-
nor Lincoln, on behalf of the Navy, arranged immigration papers
for entry into the United States for those who were not citizens.
On December 6, the survivors accompanied the body of Captain
Ault aboard the Ventura for the sad journey home.
Sans Tache
Sans Tache
IN THE "elder days of art" each artist or craftsman
enjoyed the privilege of independent creation. He
carried through a process of manufacture from be-
ginning to end. The scribe of the days before the printing
press was such a craftsman. So was the printer in the
days before the machine process. He stood or fell, as a
craftsman, by the merit or demerit of his finished product.
Modern machine production has added much to the work-
er's productivity and to his material welfare; but it has
deprived him of the old creative distinctiveness. His work
is merged in the work of the team, and lost sight of as some-
thing representing him and his personality.
Many hands and minds contribute to the manufacture of a
book, in this day of speciaHzation. There are seven dis-
tinct major processes in the making of a book: The type
must first be set; by the monotype method, there are two
processes, the "keyboarding" of the MS and the casting of
the type from the perforated paper rolls thus produced.
Formulas and other intricate work must be hand-set; then
the whole brought together ("composed") in its true order,
made into pages and forms. The results must be checked
by proof reading at each stage. Then comes the ''make-
ready" and press-run and finally the binding into volumes.
All of these processes, except that of binding into cloth or
leather covers, are carried on under our roof.
The motto of the Waverly Press is Sans. Tache. Our ideal
is to manufacture books "without Uemish" — worthy books,
worthily printed, with worthy typography — books to which
we shall be proud to attach our imprint, made by craftsmen
who are willing to accept open responsibility for their work,
and who are entitled to credit for creditable performance.
The printing craftsman of today is quite as much a crafts-
man as his predecessor. There is quite as much discrimina-
tion between poor work and good. We are of the opinion
that the individuality of the worker should not be wholly
lost. The members of our staff who have contributed their
skill of hand and brain to this volume are:
Keyboard: Viola Schneider.
Casters: Charles Aher, Kenneth Brown, Ernest Wann, IVIahlon
Robinson, Henry I^ee, Charles Fick, Martin Griffen, George Smith,
Norwood Eaton, George Bullinger.
Composing Room: Arthur Baker, Charles Bittnian, John Crabill,
James Jackson, Ray Kauffman, Richard King, Robert Lambert,
Theodore Nilson, Andrew Rassa, Charles Wyatt, Edward Rice,
Henry Shea, George Moss, Henry Johansen.
Proof Room: Alice Renter, Mary Reed, Ruth Jones, Audrey Knight,
Betty Williams, Ruth Heiderman, Dorothy Fick, Catharine Dudley,
Alice Grabau, Virginia Williams, Shirley Seidel, Jean Hyman,
Angeline Johnson.
Press: Hugh Gardner, George Lyons, August Hildebrand.
Folders: Laurence Krug, Clifton Hedley.
Cutter: William Armiger.
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